Pope Leo XIV has on multiple occasions signalled his particular attention to the challenges posed by artificial intelligence, and to the defence of human dignity, justice, and labour. This was already reflected in his choice of papal name, in his May 2025 message to the College of Cardinals, and in numerous other papal statements.
Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical is Magnifica Humanitas, signed on 15 May 2026 — the 135th anniversary of the publication of Rerum Novarum* — and officially presented on 25 May 2026. The encyclical bears the subtitle "On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence." In an unprecedented gesture, the Pope himself was present at the presentation, alongside speakers including Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic, Professor Anna Rowlands (Durham University), and Cardinals Fernández and Czerny. (For preliminary analyses of the encyclical, see e.g. this article, this article and this piece.)
*Rerum Novarum (the full text in English is available here) is Pope Leo XIII's encyclical on the condition of labour (the first papal social encyclical), issued on 15 May 1891. It played a decisive role in shaping responses — grounded in Christian principles — to the social upheavals triggered by the Industrial Revolution, providing a moral foundation for movements aimed at improving the situation of workers and advancing social rights. By articulating the demand for social justice and placing it within an appropriate framework in public discourse, Rerum Novarum became a document of defining significance whose impact extends well beyond the Catholic Church (many modern labour-law achievements can be traced back to the principles set out in the encyclical).
1. Main themes and key messages of the encyclical
The encyclical consists of an introduction, five chapters, and a conclusion:
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Introduction
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Chapter I: A Dynamic Approach Faithful to the Gospel
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Chapter II: Foundations and Principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church
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Chapter III: Technology and Dominance — The Grandeur of Humanity in Light of the Promises of AI
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Chapter IV: Safeguarding Humanity at a Time of Transformation: Truth, Work, Freedom
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Chapter V: The Culture of Power and the Civilization of Love
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Conclusion
Human dignity as the standard
"Human dignity does not depend on a person's abilities, wealth or position in life, nor on the right or wrong choices made; instead, it is a gift that precedes and transcends each person, endowed by God as an expression of his unfailing love. (§ 50)
The safeguarding of human dignity emerges as the fundamental criterion for the ethical assessment of technological developments.
Artificial intelligence is not morally neutral
[…] we cannot consider AI to be morally neutral. In reality, every technical tool embodies choices and priorities through what it measures, ignores and optimizes, and how it classifies people and situations. (§ 104)
Ethical discernment must extend not only to the purposes for which a system is used, but also to what vision of the human person and of society is embedded in its data and models (see § 104).
The concentration of technological power in private hands
In the past, it was largely up to the State to guide and direct innovation. Today, however, the main drivers of development are private, often transnational, parties that are endowed with resources and the capacity to intervene that surpass those of many Governments. (§ 5)
This gives technological power an unprecedented "private" character, making it even more challenging to direct toward the common good.
Truth as a common good in the digital age
Disinformation did not begin with AI, but AI amplifies it to a very great degree.
[…] truth is a common good and not the property of those with power or influence. (§ 137)
The encyclical calls for action in several important areas to protect the integrity of information: transparent content selection, robust journalism, critical digital education, and the central role of schools in building digital literacy.
The dignity of work in the digital transition
Chapter IV addresses the problem of unemployment, an economy that values dignity, and the social situation of families and young people.
If technology promises emancipation, yet produces new forms of global subordination, it stands in contradiction to the fundamental principle of human dignity. (§ 173)
Freedom, dependencies, and new forms of slavery
The encyclical firmly condemns all forms of slavery, human trafficking, and the commodification of persons, and warns that:
Without this ethical and humanizing reflection, the growing power of digital systems could lead us toward new atrocities that are no less shameful than those of the past that we now deplore, while we continue to present ourselves as 'advanced' and 'civilized' societies. (§ 174)
War, peace, and AI in warfare
AI can also lower the threshold for the use of force, shield people from responsibility and foster a culture in which the enemy is reduced to a statistic and the victim to 'collateral damage'. (§ 183)
The Pope rejects Realpolitik — the form of political "realism" that treats war as an inevitable part of human nature — and calls instead for diplomacy, multilateralism, and dialogue in the pursuit of peace (see § 205).
Critique of transhumanism and posthumanism
When efficiency becomes the ultimate measure of value, human beings are tempted to see themselves as a project to be optimized rather than as persons called to relationship and communion. (§ 112)
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If the human being is treated as something to be perfected or surpassed, it becomes easier to accept that some lives are less useful, less desirable or less worthy. (§ 117)
2. Continuity, shifts in emphasis, and new elements in the encyclical
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Aspect
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Earlier statements on AI
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Magnifica Humanitas
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Human dignity
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A central theme from the earliest addresses; the primary ethical criterion for assessing AI. (See e.g. the message to the College of Cardinals, May 2025.)
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Dignity as an inviolable gift from God remains the primary standard.
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AI as a tool
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AI is "above all else a tool" — following Pope Francis. (See e.g. here, June 2025.)
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The encyclical is not anti-AI, but aims at its proper governance.
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Transhumanism
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Previously appeared only tangentially.
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The encyclical explicitly rejects posthumanism and transhumanism.
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Social teaching
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The legacy of Rerum Novarum was present from the choice of papal name. (See the message to the College of Cardinals, May 2025.)
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Social Doctrine is given a prominent role and presented as a living — not rigid — system. (See especially Chapter II.)
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War and weapons
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Present only in general terms.
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The encyclical specifically addresses the role of AI in warfare and defends diplomacy and multilateralism. (See especially Chapter V.)
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Insufficiency of ethical guidelines
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Not a central theme.
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The encyclical argues that a systemic, spiritual, and ethical framework is necessary.
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Technology and freedom
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The question of freedom appeared only tangentially. (See e.g. the June 2025 address to legislators here.)
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The encyclical expressly examines the relationship between technology and freedom.
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Overall, Magnifica Humanitas represents a coherent synthesis and deepening of Pope Leo XIV's earlier positions on AI, placing the earlier speeches and messages within a unified framework while also introducing new elements. It is critically important to note that the encyclical is not about rejecting AI, but about developing and deploying it within a framework that places the human person and human dignity at its centre.