Pope Leo warns AI must be ‘disarmed’ to stop domination and death

Pope Leo XIV has called for the “disarming” of artificial intelligence, warning that unchecked AI could become an instrument of “domination, exclusion and death”. In his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, the pope urged stronger global regulation of AI, saying ownership of AI data and systems must not remain solely in private hands. He warned against a race for more powerful algorithms driven by geopolitical and commercial competition, and called for legal oversight, protection for workers and safeguards for children. The pope also condemned AI-directed warfare, saying lethal decisions must never be entrusted to machines, and described the “just war” theory as outdated. Speaking alongside AI experts at the Vatican, including Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah, Pope Leo said AI should serve “the common good” in the same way nuclear technology must be controlled for humanity’s benefit. The Vatican manifesto also warned of job losses, opaque algorithms and “new forms of slavery” linked to the rapid expansion of AI technologies. Al Jazeera’s Camille Nedelec reports from London. Al Jazeera’s Camille Nedelec reports from London. Subscribe to our channel: http://bit.ly/AJSubscribe Follow us on X: https://X.com/AJEnglish Find us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/aljazeera Check our website: http://www.aljazeera.com/ Check out our Instagram page: https://www.instagram.com/aljazeeraenglish/ Download AJE Mobile App: https://aje.news/AJEMobile #PopeLeo #ArtificialIntelligence #AI #Vatican #Technology #AIRegulation #AIEthics #Anthropic #Automation #AIWeapons #CatholicChurch #DigitalRights #TechPolicy #GlobalGovernance #HumanRights