Pope Leo XIV Advocates for the 'Disarmament' of AI, Citing Gandalf

In his first official document, the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas ("Magnificent Humanity"), Pope Leo XIV addresses one of the most delicate issues of our time: the impact of artificial intelligence on society. Presented at the Vatican alongside Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah, the encyclical calls for AI to be "disarmed" and put at the service of the common good.

The Pontiff explains that he deliberately chose a strong term like "disarmament" because the historical moment demands words capable of "awakening consciences." According to Leo XIV, artificial intelligence should not become a tool of dominance, exclusion, or war, but should be oriented towards human well-being and cooperation.

In the text, which spans about 40,000 words, the Pope openly criticizes the use of autonomous weapons based on AI, the monopolistic control of data, and new forms of economic power linked to algorithms, patents, and digital infrastructures. He also highlights the risk of a new technological colonialism, where the health and genetic data of the most vulnerable populations are collected and exploited by major tech powers.

Further Details on the Pope's Statements on AI

According to Leo XIV, those who control this data wield enormous power over the future: they can influence markets, investments, and even decide who will have access to care and protection. For this reason, the Pope argues that shared knowledge must become a common good and not a tool of control. However, the encyclical is not a total condemnation of technology. The Vatican itself has recently introduced automated translation systems for the faithful in over 60 languages.

Nevertheless, the Pope reminds us that AI can only imitate some functions of human intelligence: it does not experience emotions, does not live through experiences, and lacks moral consciousness. For Leo XIV, the greatest danger is to reduce the human being to mere technical dimensions, forgetting fundamental values such as love, relationships, responsibility, and compassion. Without these qualities, technology risks isolating people and making them more vulnerable.

In the document, there is also a quote from J.R.R. Tolkien, through a phrase spoken by Gandalf, symbolizing the importance of small daily actions against evil. Finally, the Pope invites governments, businesses, and citizens to become "artisans of hope," building a society where AI supports humanity instead of replacing it.