Pope Leo XIV Issues First Encyclical, Warning Against AI Weaponization and New Forms of Slavery

Pope Leo XIV presented his first encyclical, titled "Magnifica Humanitas," at the Vatican on May 25. The document addresses the ethical and social challenges posed by artificial intelligence. The Pope warned against the weaponization of AI, stating that delegating lethal decisions to technology is unacceptable. He criticized the pursuit of geopolitical or commercial dominance through the development of increasingly powerful algorithms. The Pope emphasized that AI should be "human-friendly" and accessible to all, while also calling for efforts to reduce the environmental impact of AI and protect against new forms of exploitation. Experts suggest this encyclical could have a significant impact on global policy, similar to previous papal documents on climate change.