Pope Leo XIV calls for AI governance centred on human dignity in first encyclical

Pope Leo XIV has published his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (‘Magnificent Humanity’), a major Vatican document focused on the social, ethical, and political implications of AI.

The text, formally titled On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence, places AI within the broader tradition of Catholic social teaching and compares current technological transformations to earlier periods of industrial and economic upheaval.

The encyclical argues that AI should be treated not only as a technical innovation but also as a force capable of reshaping labour, political power, communication, education, warfare, and social relations. According to the document, technological systems must remain accountable to human beings and should not weaken human responsibility, freedom, or dignity.

Several chapters focus on the concentration of digital power, the influence of large technology companies, and what the Vatican describes as a growing ‘technocratic paradigm’ in which efficiency, optimisation, and control risk becoming dominant social values.

The document also addresses labour and economic transformation. It warns that AI-driven automation could deepen inequality, weaken job security, and undermine the social value of work if technological development is guided primarily by commercial incentives rather than public responsibility.

Another major theme is governance. The encyclical calls for transparency, accountability, and public oversight of AI systems and argues that decisions involving human rights, justice, and warfare should remain under meaningful human control.

The text is also notable because it moves beyond narrow debates about AI safety or technical risk. Instead, it treats AI as part of a wider social question concerning power, economic organisation, human identity, and the kind of society technological systems are helping to create.

The encyclical arrives as governments, companies, and international organisations are increasingly debating how AI should be regulated. By placing these questions within the framework of human dignity, labour, solidarity, and the common good, the Vatican is positioning itself as an active participant in global discussions on the future governance of AI.