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Pope Leo XIV's First Encyclical Declares AI Is Not Morally Neutral

June 25, 2026 at 09:00 EDT

Policy & Regulation
Foundation Models

In his first encyclical, signed on May 15, 2026 and published on May 25, Pope Leo XIV states that artificial intelligence cannot be considered morally neutral, warning that technology carries the values of those who design and use it. The document, titled Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, is the first systematic teaching text issued since his election.

May 25, 2026 · Encyclical "Magnifica Humanitas"

"AI Is Not Morally Neutral"

In his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV declares that artificial intelligence "takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate, and use it" — and calls for accountability and ethical standards that serve human dignity and the common good.

~42,000

words across six parts

main points on AI ethics

135yr

since "Rerum Novarum" (1891)

Six points the encyclical demands

Neutrality

Tech takes on the traits of those who design, fund, regulate and use it.

Accountability

Clarify responsibility for AI decisions at every stage.

Oversight

Independent oversight and user education.

Military

Advocates the "disarmament" of AI weapons.

Environment

Attention to energy and water consumption.

Ideology

Critiques transhumanism and posthumanism.

Praise

A "people-first vision" placing human dignity, the dignity of labor and protection of the vulnerable at the center — a moral compass for companies and policymakers.

Criticism

Strong on solidarity, but lacking concrete examples of AI's beneficial uses, such as medical imaging and drug discovery.

Discussed alongside the EU AI Act and WTO trade rules, the encyclical is drawing attention as a moral framework demanding substantive guardrails behind the slogan of "AI for good."

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