Pope Leo XIV calls for 'disarming AI' in first encyclical warning of new slavery

Pope Leo XIV (first US pope) released his first encyclical 'Magnifica Humanitas' May 25, 2026, calling for artificial intelligence to be 'disarmed' and warning of 'new forms of slavery' behind technological development. The document specifically condemns AI-directed weaponry as 'not permissible to entrust lethal decisions to tech' and declares 'just war' theory outdated, stating 'no algorithm can make war morally acceptable.'

The pope warned against 'race for ever more powerful algorithms' driven by geopolitical and commercial dominance, while noting AI could be worth $4.8 trillion by 2033 but concentrating profits in few hands. He presented the encyclical alongside Christopher Olah from Anthropic, which has legal battles with US military over lethal autonomous warfare.

The encyclical reveals how AI 'relies on the silent work of millions of people' including content moderators forced to watch disturbing material and children extracting rare earth elements for AI technology. The pope issued unprecedented apology for Vatican's role in slave trade, saying 'nothing in AI is immaterial or magical' and exploitation remains 'deliberately hidden.'

With AI global market predicted to grow 25-fold in a decade, will you support regulation that prioritizes human dignity over technological advancement?

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/05/25/pope-urges-disarming-of-ai-in-major-manifesto/