Pope Leo vs AI: Pontiff sounds alarm over the 'culture of power' driving the tech race

Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his first encyclical, "Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence," at the Vatican. - Copyright AP Photo

By Angela Skujins

Published on 26/05/2026 - 13:53 GMT+2

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Pope Leo XIV has disseminated a major manifesto warning of the societal ills posed by the emerging technology – particularly on the battlefield and how it is related to “slavery”.

The document, dated May 15, was published 145-years after a former Pope Leo wrote his own warning of the advent of the 19th century industrial revolution.

Pope Leo XIV used his encyclical – a document communicating the position of the Catholic Church to its 1.4 billion followers – to denounce the “culture of power” driving the AI race, especially in developing ever more sophisticated methods of remote warfare.

So is there anyway way to salve the biggest technological advancement of the 21st century? Our correspondent Angela Skujins explains.

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Pope Leo vs AI: Pontiff sounds alarm over the 'culture of power' driving the tech race

Pope Leo XIV has disseminated a major manifesto warning of the societal ills posed by the emerging technology – particularly on the battlefield and how it is related to “slavery”.

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