Pope Leo XIV has published his first encyclical, focused on what it means to protect and preserve human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence.
Released on Monday, 25 May, the encyclical’s signing occurred on the 135th anniversary of the publication of Pope Leo XIII’s seminal encyclical Rerum novarum.
The encyclical focuses heavily on Catholic social teaching and how it can be applied in the face of technological change in the 21st century, particularly given the rapid rise in artificial intelligence technologies.
Bishops Commission for Life, Family and Public Engagement chair, Archbishop Peter Comensoli, said artificial intelligence was driving a new industrial revolution and it was important to address how this will challenge human dignity, work, family and the environment.
“The pope's message will be important for helping all people to grapple with this complex and life-changing area,” Archbishop Comensoli said.
“Putting people first ought to be our response to the project of artificial intelligence.
“A good first step in doing this will be to read Magnifica humanitas and consider its practical application across our parishes, schools, hospitals, welfare agencies, workplaces and the general community.”
The encyclical features five chapters.
Chapter 1: A Dynamic Approach Faithful to the Gospel, focuses on how the Church interacts with the contemporary world. It also includes commentary on key Catholic social teaching.
Chapter 2: Foundations and Principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church, addresses the foundations of Catholic social doctrine, including the dignity of the human person and human values.
Chapter 3: Technology and Dominance, creates a positive vision of the human person but warns humanity is at risk when technology becomes the standard and dictates what matters.
Chapter 4: Safeguarding Humanity at a Time of Transformation, promotes the idea truth is a common good and therefore humans need to be good stewards of it. This means promoting transparency and privacy where it is applicable. It also says we need to recognise that work is a way of building up human dignity and artificial intelligence could put this at risk.
Chapter 5: The Culture of Power and the Civilisation of Love, Pope Leo XIV talks about war and how artificial intelligence could promote greater collateral damage. He added there has been a revival of war as an instrument of international politics instead of a last-minute resort.
In his conclusion, Pope Leo XIV talks about the incarnation, speaking about how Christ experienced human life, and encourages the faithful to build walls of peace, not walls of destruction.
During the presentation of the encyclical in the Synod Hall in the Vatican on Monday, Pope Leo XIV appealed for artificial intelligence to be placed firmly at the service of humanity, warning against technologies that foster domination, exclusion and war.
He said the document emerged from listening to scientists, engineers, educators, political leaders and families. From those conversations and discernment, Pope said he came to a strong conviction: “artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed”.
The encyclical is the first of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate. While Pope Leo XIII, who inspired Leo XIV’s name choice, was a prolific writer of encyclicals, writing 88, more contemporary popes have written only a few.
The full version of Magnifica humanitas can be found here.
Two videos and infographics released by the Vatican can be found here.
