Pope calls for robust AI regulation in manifesto on humanity's future

Pope Leo XIV called Monday for robust regulation of artificial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than profit, issuing a sweeping manifesto on safeguarding humankind as the technology impacts everything from work to war.

Objective Facts

Released Monday, the 42,300-word encyclical "Magnifica Humanitas" marks Pope Leo's most sweeping statement yet on the promise and dangers of AI, a topic he has repeatedly spoken about in the year since his election. In his text, Leo repeatedly blasted the concentration of power and data in the hands of so few people in the private sector as a danger, especially to children and the most vulnerable, and called for external regulation of their work. He declared that it was "not permissible" to entrust irreversible, lethal decisions to AI systems, setting up another flash point between the American pope and the Trump administration, which has worked aggressively to deregulate AI development. The Vatican launch included remarks by Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah, as part of its decade-long effort to engage Silicon Valley in dialogue over the human cost of AI. The Pope's perspective could be especially influential in parts of the European Union, where papacy does "makes a difference" in how people think about these questions.

Left-Leaning Perspective

Democracy Now! reported that Pope Leo issued a sweeping declaration Monday on the risks of artificial intelligence through a papal encyclical that runs more than 42,000 words, calling for government regulation, retraining for workers, better education for students, protections for children and safeguards to ensure that humans — and not AI models — will make decisions on the use of weapons. Truthout, a progressive outlet, reported that Pope Leo XIV released a 42,000-word encyclical calling for government regulation of artificial intelligence and warned in the first major theological document of his papacy that unrestrained AI and its potentially far-reaching impacts — including mass job loss, environmental degradation, and increasingly catastrophic warfare — heightens the "risk of dehumanization." Leo's warnings about the implications of rapid advancements in AI technology echoed concerns expressed by progressive lawmakers in the US and around the world. The left-leaning outlets highlighted the pope's alignment with demands for stronger government oversight of private tech companies and his emphasis on worker protection and the common good over corporate profit. Left-leaning coverage emphasizes the encyclical as a major statement supporting regulatory frameworks that progressives have advocated for. However, the coverage provides limited direct quotes from specific progressive politicians or commentators endorsing the document.

Right-Leaning Perspective

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum questioned why Pope Leo XIV is "tech editorializing" after he released a 42,000-word manifesto offering bleak warnings about the risks of AI, appearing on "Mornings with Maria" on Fox Business Tuesday and saying "I didn't know that tech editorializing was part of the role of being pope." Burgum defended the construction of AI data centers, which require massive amounts of energy, as "positive for humanity," a contrast to the pope's call for AI to be "disarmed" to prevent the technology from "dominating humanity." The Wall Street Journal described the pope's encyclical as a "rebuke" of President Trump's uncritical embrace of AI and tech leaders, such as OpenAI's CEO Sam Altman. Trump has publicly praised executives such as OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and brought influential Silicon Valley leaders—including Elon Musk and David Sacks—into advisory positions, shaping the administration's approach to technology policy, while the president has also pursued an aggressively pro-industry approach to artificial intelligence since returning to office, signing multiple executive orders aimed at loosening federal oversight of the technology. Right-leaning voices view the encyclical as overreach into matters beyond the Church's purview and as contrary to free-market principles of technological development. The Trump administration perspective emphasizes rapid innovation and minimal regulatory burden rather than the pope's calls for government constraints.

Deep Dive

"Magnifica Humanitas," Leo's first encyclical, has been eagerly awaited ever since history's first U.S.-born pope announced days after his election that he considered AI to be the biggest challenge facing humanity today. Leo signed the text May 15, the 135th anniversary of the publication of "Rerum Novarum" (Of New Things), the most important teaching document of Leo's namesake, Pope Leo XIII. That document addressed workers' rights, the limits of capitalism, and the obligations that states and employers owed workers as the Industrial Revolution was underway. The current pope cited it at the start of his pontificate in relation to the AI revolution, which he believes poses the same existential questions that the Industrial Revolution posed over a century ago. In his text, Leo repeatedly blasted the concentration of power and data in the hands of so few people in the private sector as a danger, especially to children and the most vulnerable, and called for external regulation of their work, writing "It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract; robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required." The encyclical's call for government regulation directly contradicts the Trump administration's deregulatory approach. The encyclical comes a few days after President Donald Trump delayed signing his executive order on AI, which would have given the government oversight over new models before they are released, reportedly on the urging of VC investor and former White House AI czar David Sacks. The Pope's perspective could be especially influential in parts of the European Union, where papacy does "makes a difference" in how people think about these questions. The decision to include Anthropic at the Vatican launch was criticized by some who considered it a papal stamp of approval of the AI firm, which is currently suing the Trump administration after it ordered all U.S. agencies to stop using Anthropic's technology for its refusal to allow the U.S. military unrestricted use of it. However, Brian Boyd, U.S. faith liaison for the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, read the inclusion of Anthropic's co-founder Olah as similar to a papal audience with a head of state: not an endorsement, saying "I think it's more like a recognition of (how) this is an extremely powerful company that's currently winning this race to replace human workers."

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Pope calls for robust AI regulation in manifesto on humanity's future

Pope Leo XIV called Monday for robust regulation of artificial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than profit, issuing a sweeping manifesto on safeguarding humankind as the technology impacts everything from work to war.

May 25, 2026· Updated May 26, 2026
What's Going On

Released Monday, the 42,300-word encyclical "Magnifica Humanitas" marks Pope Leo's most sweeping statement yet on the promise and dangers of AI, a topic he has repeatedly spoken about in the year since his election. In his text, Leo repeatedly blasted the concentration of power and data in the hands of so few people in the private sector as a danger, especially to children and the most vulnerable, and called for external regulation of their work. He declared that it was "not permissible" to entrust irreversible, lethal decisions to AI systems, setting up another flash point between the American pope and the Trump administration, which has worked aggressively to deregulate AI development. The Vatican launch included remarks by Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah, as part of its decade-long effort to engage Silicon Valley in dialogue over the human cost of AI. The Pope's perspective could be especially influential in parts of the European Union, where papacy does "makes a difference" in how people think about these questions.

Left says: Leo's warnings about the implications of rapid advancements in AI technology echoed concerns expressed by progressive lawmakers in the US and around the world. Progressive outlets like Democracy Now! and Truthout featured the encyclical's calls for government regulation and worker protections as aligned with left-wing policy priorities.
Right says: Interior Secretary Doug Burgum questioned Pope Leo XIV for "tech editorializing" in his encyclical, saying he didn't know that was "part of the role of being pope." The Trump administration views the encyclical's call for stronger regulation as contrary to its pro-industry AI policy.
✓ Common Ground
Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah welcomed Leo's criticism and concern, saying such external checks on AI and the researchers behind it were fundamental to the technology "going well" for humankind since there is so much at stake — "a real possibility that AI will displace human labor at a very large scale" — and that "We need more of the world — religious communities, civil society, scholars, governments — to do what His Holiness has done here: to take this seriously, to look closely, and to push events in a better direction."
Experts in the tech industry, academia and Catholic morality said the document will likely become a benchmark in the debate over AI, a point of reference for policymakers, researchers and ordinary folk alike, coming as the near-daily developments in the technology trigger concerns over AI replacing human jobs and even human intelligence.
The Catholic Church typically does not go "into the weeds" on specific policy proposals, and "Usually, the way that the church deals with its social teachings is to propose very broad moral, ethical principles for people that they think would serve the common good for all people."
Objective Deep Dive

"Magnifica Humanitas," Leo's first encyclical, has been eagerly awaited ever since history's first U.S.-born pope announced days after his election that he considered AI to be the biggest challenge facing humanity today. Leo signed the text May 15, the 135th anniversary of the publication of "Rerum Novarum" (Of New Things), the most important teaching document of Leo's namesake, Pope Leo XIII. That document addressed workers' rights, the limits of capitalism, and the obligations that states and employers owed workers as the Industrial Revolution was underway. The current pope cited it at the start of his pontificate in relation to the AI revolution, which he believes poses the same existential questions that the Industrial Revolution posed over a century ago.

In his text, Leo repeatedly blasted the concentration of power and data in the hands of so few people in the private sector as a danger, especially to children and the most vulnerable, and called for external regulation of their work, writing "It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract; robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required." The encyclical's call for government regulation directly contradicts the Trump administration's deregulatory approach. The encyclical comes a few days after President Donald Trump delayed signing his executive order on AI, which would have given the government oversight over new models before they are released, reportedly on the urging of VC investor and former White House AI czar David Sacks. The Pope's perspective could be especially influential in parts of the European Union, where papacy does "makes a difference" in how people think about these questions.

The decision to include Anthropic at the Vatican launch was criticized by some who considered it a papal stamp of approval of the AI firm, which is currently suing the Trump administration after it ordered all U.S. agencies to stop using Anthropic's technology for its refusal to allow the U.S. military unrestricted use of it. However, Brian Boyd, U.S. faith liaison for the nonprofit Future of Life Institute, read the inclusion of Anthropic's co-founder Olah as similar to a papal audience with a head of state: not an endorsement, saying "I think it's more like a recognition of (how) this is an extremely powerful company that's currently winning this race to replace human workers."

◈ Tone Comparison

Left-leaning coverage uses language emphasizing the encyclical's moral authority and alignment with progressive policy goals — phrases like "calling for government regulation" and emphasis on "worker protection" and "human dignity." Right-leaning responses dismiss the document using dismissive language like Burgum's charge of "tech editorializing," framing the pope as overstepping his role and the encyclical as ideological rather than authoritative.