In a momentous address marking the beginning of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV outlined a forward-looking vision rooted in continuity, inclusion, and moral clarity. Speaking before the College of Cardinals at the Vatican on Saturday (10th May, 2025), the newly elected pontiff, who is the first Latin American to assume the role, emphasized artificial intelligence (AI) as one of the most urgent ethical challenges confronting the world today.
The Argentine pope, born from the Augustinian order, paid tribute to his predecessors, particularly Pope Francis, by invoking the mission of inclusivity set forth in 2013. Leo underscored a commitment to making the Catholic Church a refuge for the “least and rejected,” echoing Francis’s pastoral priority of compassion over doctrine.
But it was his deep concern over the rise of AI that stood out as the most defining note of his papal address. Pope Leo identified artificial intelligence as a transformative force with the potential to redefine humanity’s relationship with technology, dignity, and justice. While acknowledging its capacity to improve lives, he warned that unchecked development and use of AI threatens to erode the human essence in critical areas of decision-making, labor, and interpersonal relationships.
“Artificial intelligence presents new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor,” Pope Leo said, drawing attention to the increasing automation of roles that once required empathy and moral discernment.
He cited historical continuity with Pope Leo XIII—his namesake—who in the late 19th century responded to the Industrial Revolution with the seminal encyclical Rerum Novarum. That document addressed the exploitation of labor and the dangers of both unregulated capitalism and radical socialism. The new pope said his mission echoes the same spirit of ethical vigilance, this time in the face of digital revolutions.
Referencing Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo noted, “In our own day, the Church offers everyone the treasure of its social teaching in response to another industrial revolution,” this one led by artificial intelligence.
The pope's comments signal a significant deepening of the Catholic Church’s engagement with technological ethics. Pope Francis had previously warned of AI's potential to undermine human agency, and in his 2023 G7 message, had called for global governance to ensure such technologies are guided by human values.
Leo XIV doubled down on this concern, advocating for a binding international treaty to regulate the development and deployment of AI. He stressed that decisions involving weapons, employment, and even healthcare should remain in human hands. "Technology devoid of compassion, mercy, morality, and forgiveness is too perilous to develop unchecked," he warned.
In his message for the Church’s 2024 annual peace observance, Pope Leo urged world leaders to unite in safeguarding ethical principles. He made clear that humanity must not fall prey to the illusion that efficiency or intelligence alone equate to wisdom.
This first official address not only establishes Pope Leo XIV as a pontiff attentive to the spiritual needs of the marginalized, but also as a moral sentinel in an age of rapid technological change. His words position the Church at the heart of global ethical discourse and signal a renewed commitment to defend the human person amid emerging digital dominions.
As artificial intelligence reshapes industries and identities alike, Pope Leo’s call is both timely and profound: to keep humanity human in an increasingly mechanized world.
.jpeg)
.jpeg)
