Pope Leo XIV Declares AI a Moral Crisis, Urges Global Regulation
VATICAN CITY — In a bold and historic stance, newly elected Pope Leo XIV, the first American pontiff, is making the ethical threat of artificial intelligence (AI) a central theme of his papacy. Echoing the reformist tone of his predecessor Pope Francis, Leo XIV aims to confront what he describes as a “new industrial revolution” driven by technology that may undermine human dignity, justice, and labor.
During a closed meeting with senior cardinals last month, the pope cited 2,000 years of Catholic social teaching as the moral compass to guide the Church’s position on emerging AI technologies. According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, the pope warned of the unchecked growth of AI tools and algorithms that could displace workers, perpetuate inequality, and reshape society without ethical oversight.
This position puts the Vatican on a potential collision course with major tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Cisco, whose executives have long courted the Holy See to gain moral legitimacy for their innovations. These companies have hosted summits, sponsored ethics workshops, and promoted AI for good initiatives in Vatican City over recent years.
But Pope Leo XIV, formerly Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago and a missionary in Peru, is now calling for something stronger: a binding international treaty on AI. The Vatican’s proposal seeks to enforce global standards that prioritize human rights, labor protections, and equitable access, warning that without such frameworks, the world risks repeating the exploitative errors of the first industrial age.
The pope’s namesake, Leo XIII, was known for standing up for exploited factory workers during the 19th century’s Gilded Age. Leo XIV appears ready to follow that legacy—only this time, the battleground is digital.
The tech industry, while wary of regulation that could “stifle innovation,” is under growing pressure to address concerns ranging from AI’s role in disinformation and job automation to its opaque decision-making systems. The pope’s moral authority now adds further weight to those global conversations.
While some policymakers may resist religious influence in tech governance, many observers believe the Vatican’s call for ethical AI rules could inspire broader multilateral dialogue, especially among developing countries vulnerable to exploitation by unregulated technology.
Pope Leo’s emerging legacy may not only be about spiritual renewal but about setting a moral line in the silicon sand.
