Pope Leo: AI a Threat to Humanity

Pope Leo's AI Warning

Pope Leo XIV has issued a strong warning, calling artificial intelligence a threat to humanity. He is urging immediate global action, including strict regulations for Big Tech companies.

According to Leo, the church is prepared to use its social teachings to address the challenges to human dignity, justice, and labor presented by AI innovations. He expressed these concerns to a group of cardinals at the Vatican during one of his first major addresses as pontiff. His remarks, made during his first formal audience with the College of Cardinals on May 10, were reported by the Wall Street Journal.

The Vatican is hosting a summit on AI ethics this week, with executives from firms like IBM, Cohere, Anthropic, and Palantir in attendance. Leo is expected to release a written message but has not yet scheduled private meetings with tech CEOs. Microsoft President Brad Smith is expected to meet with Vatican officials later this month, and Google is in talks for a future audience with the pope.

AI's Impact on Jobs

AI is projected to automate or significantly change a large percentage of jobs worldwide. Some project that AI could impact up to 80% of jobs by 2050. McKinsey forecasts that AI could automate 30% of US jobs by 2030, while Goldman Sachs estimates that it may affect up to 300 million jobs globally, which is approximately 25% of the global labor force. Roles that are labor-intensive, like construction, maintenance, and skilled trades, are expected to remain the most secure.

Echoing Pope Leo XIII

Just days after becoming pope, the first American pope has indicated that addressing AI will be a key focus of his papacy. By choosing the name Leo XIV, in reference to Pope Leo XIII, who was known as the “Pope of the Workers” in the 19th century, Leo XIV is drawing a connection between the industrial revolution and the current digital revolution.

The 267th pope is establishing himself as a moral counterbalance to tech companies. The Church, under both Francis and now Leo, has pushed for legally binding global regulations to control AI development. Cardinal Giuseppe Versaldi told the Journal that Leo XIV wants science and politics to address this issue promptly, preventing scientific progress from harming those subject to its power.

Predecessor's Concerns

The push for AI oversight builds upon the work of Pope Francis, who had grown increasingly vocal about the potential risks of emerging technologies. Francis, who had joked about his limited computer skills, became a leading voice on the subject, cautioning against a “technological dictatorship” and describing AI as both “fascinating and terrifying.”

In 2020, the Vatican released the “Rome Call for AI Ethics,” with support from Microsoft and IBM, among others. It urged developers to create AI systems that respect privacy, human rights, and non-discrimination. However, some tech giants, including Google and OpenAI, have not yet endorsed it.

Francis became more involved after an AI-generated image of him in a white puffer jacket went viral, demonstrating AI's potential to distort reality. He later warned global leaders against allowing “choices by machines” to replace human decision-making. Pope Leo, with a mathematics degree and greater tech knowledge than his predecessor, is expected to further the Church’s advocacy. According to Vatican officials and clergy, there is a moral obligation to serve as a global conscience against a potentially dehumanizing force. Cardinal Versaldi stated that while these tools should not be demonized, they require regulation. He questioned who would regulate them, suggesting that it is not credible for the makers to regulate themselves and that a superior authority is needed.