In a landmark address on technology and ethics, Pope Leo XIV unveiled Magnifica Humanitas, a major Vatican initiative calling for the ethical “disarmament” of artificial intelligence and renewed protection of human dignity in the digital age.

Speaking before scholars, diplomats, and technology leaders at the Vatican, the Pope warned that AI must never become a tool for manipulation, surveillance, warfare, or the erosion of human freedom. He stressed that technological progress without moral responsibility risks deepening inequality, misinformation, and social instability.

“Artificial intelligence must serve humanity — not replace it, control it, or weaponize it,” Pope Leo declared. He called for international cooperation to establish ethical safeguards preventing the militarization of advanced AI systems and the misuse of algorithms for political or economic domination.

The initiative, Magnifica Humanitas, emphasizes the primacy of the human person, transparency in technological development, and the responsibility of governments and corporations to ensure AI respects truth, justice, labor, privacy, and human creativity. Vatican observers described the document as one of the strongest papal interventions yet on emerging technologies.

The Pope also encouraged scientists and innovators to pursue what he called a “culture of wisdom,” where technological advancement is guided by compᴀssion, accountability, and concern for the common good rather than profit or power alone.

Concluding the event, Pope Leo XIV appealed for a global commitment to what he termed the “disarmament of artificial intelligence,” warning that humanity must not allow machines designed to ᴀssist life to become instruments that threaten peace and human dignity.