Pope Leo calls for caution over artificial intelligence

Pope Leo XIV issued a mammoth, 38,000-word encyclical letter on Monday advocating for measures that would protect human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence. The letter attempted to provide theological guidance to Roman Catholics and exhortation to businesses and world leaders about how they should handle the new technology. The wide-ranging document covered a range of topics from slavery to Biblical family structure.

What is an encyclical letter? Popes specifically send encyclical letters to the bishops in the Roman Catholic Church, but the letters aim to guide all Catholics in their doctrine. These letters are not considered infallible pronouncements, but they hold significant influence and authority among the church leadership.

What did the pope say about AI? Leo called on governments to regulate AI and encouraged companies to “disarm.” He emphasized the difference between the ability of human beings to think, feel, and make judgments and AI chatbots’ purely mechanical processing. At the same time, Leo noted the good that could come from AI, specifically the possibilities it created for increased economic efficiency.

What did the pope say about slavery? The pope took responsibility for a historically slow rejection of slavery by the Roman Catholic Church. Due to these past failures, he encouraged a higher vigilance against slavery in its modern iterations. He warned that the demand for the physical technology needed to support the rise of AI could incentivize businesses to utilize slave-like labor.

What did the pope say about family? Leo reaffirmed the importance of the traditional family composed of the marriage of a man and a woman. He encouraged decisions that would support familial stability despite the ever-changing landscape of AI. Particularly, he noted the difficulties of job insecurities among younger generations.

Dig deeper: Read Liz Lykins’ report in The Sift from earlier this year, in which Pope Leo called for people across the world to lay down their weapons.