Pope Leo XIV has issued a major encyclical focused on the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, warning that the technology could make civilization “less human” and urging global efforts to “disarm” its most dangerous applications.

Axar.az reports, citing CBS News, in the 82-page document titled Magnifica Humanitas, the pontiff frames AI not only as an economic or technological issue, but as a profound challenge to human dignity and morality. He cautioned that unchecked development of advanced systems could concentrate power, deepen inequality, and reduce human life to data-driven efficiency.

“The pressing duty is to remain profoundly human,” Pope Leo wrote, warning against a global race for more powerful algorithms driven by geopolitical and commercial competition.

The pope also questioned the continued relevance of traditional “just war” theory in modern conflicts, arguing that it has often been misused to justify violence.

Much of the encyclical focuses on the societal consequences of AI, including potential job displacement and the risk of “less human” systems governing critical decisions. The Vatican emphasized that while AI is a significant human achievement, it must remain under strong ethical control.

The document marks the first major papal teaching in the era of generative AI and signals the Vatican’s growing concern over the technology’s influence on global politics, warfare, and the economy.