Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical, or formal pastoral letter, in May, titled “Magnifica Humanitas.” In this encyclical, he tackles some of the most pressing questions regarding modern social debates, namely, the use of artificial intelligence, providing several prudent warnings for all of us, whether Catholic, Protestant, or not religious at all.
AI Is Not Morally Neutral
AI skeptics often temper their suspicions of AI by describing it as nothing more than a tool, only as morally good or bad as he who wields it. Pope Leo directly challenges this assumption, writing that “technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate and use it.”
AI has been reworked, revamped, and made more “lifelike” by leaps and bounds over the last few years. It is also constantly learning from its users.
But do we want our AI models to become like those who construct and use them? When we realize that millions of sexually explicit images have been created using the likenesses of real men, women, and children, the answer is obviously no.
AI Is Not Objective
AI is often touted as an escape from the inevitable biases and prejudices that we encounter when seeking advice and answers from fellow human beings. However, the assumption that AI can be truly neutral on any question is dangerous and false.
“[W]hen AI systems present themselves as neutral and objective, they end up reflecting and reinforcing the stereotypes or ideological bias of their designers and developers,” Pope Leo writes. In other words, AI models will always mimic the biases of their creators because they cannot think for themselves. This can lead to nefarious abuses, namely, that “the exclusion of the vulnerable” can become “cloaked in a veneer of neutrality and objectivity.” If we trust AI models to be neutral, we place far more trust in them than is warranted.
Similarly, the widespread use of AI will only continue to result in disinformation. AI has already been observed mixing fact with opinion as it scours the internet for answers to any questions we might ask it. One of the greatest risks of AI is the fact that “the ability to manipulate content, images and videos exposes people to biased or misleading perspectives” – and as AI becomes embedded in even more forms of content, we will be less able to distinguish truth from falsehood.
Reliance on AI Weakens Us
Even without the input of the pontiff, several studies have demonstrated that reliance on AI weakens our analytical capabilities. A 2024 study found that dependence on AI led to reduced “decision-making, critical thinking, and analytical reasoning” skills, not to mention increased risk of plagiarism, while a peer-reviewed 2025 study discovered a “significant negative correlation between frequent AI tool usage and critical thinking abilities, mediated by cognitive offloading.”
Cognitive offloading refers to the tendency to enlist the help of AI while performing complicated tasks, thus lifting the mental strain off oneself. Pope Leo himself recognizes the dangers of cognitive offloading, writing that although the increased convenience of AI can make many tasks easier, “they can also encourage excessive reliance and the search for ready-made answers, and weaken personal creativity and judgment.”
While this is certainly a cognitive concern, it also ought to be a religious concern. One of the primary abilities that sets man apart from animals and distinguishes him as “made in the image of God” is his ability to reason. This unique skill, which enables us to pursue truth, should not be offloaded to a machine.
Environmental Concerns
The environment ought to be the concern of all Christians according to Pope Leo, who writes:
“[C]are for our common home and our responsibility toward the poor and future generations require that the use of the goods of creation and the new possibilities offered by technology be regulated in such a way as to respect the environment, avoid waste and prevent new forms of exploitation.”
He later cautions us against overlooking the environmental impact of AI, which requires massive amounts of natural resources, energy, and water. It is important to note that Pope Leo does not unequivocally state that large language models need to be shut down because of their environmental impact; instead, he urges AI designers to develop more “more sustainable technological solutions” in order to “protect our common home.”
AI Is Predicated on a Reductive View of Humanity
These are just a few of the concerns posed by Pope Leo in “Magnifica Humanitas,” which also include the risks posed by private data ownership, forming relationships with AI bots, and the use of AI in warfare. But perhaps the most prescient argument against widespread use of AI can be found in the title of this encyclical, which translates to “Magnificent Humanity.”
In order to discern the moral value of any new technology, Pope Leo writes that we must examine “what vision of the human person and society is embedded in the data and models that guide it,” going beyond simply the practical benefits and risks of new technology. The “vision” embedded in artificial intelligence is fundamentally reductive.
Pope Leo describes the vision of AI as “anti-human,” because its ideal of human life is efficiency, control, and omniscience. As humans, we can never claim to possess all the “knowledge” or control that AI claims to have stored. By equating value with efficiency and speed, “human beings are tempted to see themselves as a project to be optimized rather than as persons called to relationship and communion.” We might start to see our full potential as more machine-like than human; and machines can never have a relationship with God.
“Magnifica Humanitas” does not claim to offer an antidote to the dangers posed by AI, nor does it demand that we rid the world of artificial intelligence altogether. Rather, Pope Leo commands caution and vigilance, asking us to be guided by the fundamental social principles of the dignity of the human person, the common good, and justice as we seek to “safeguard our humanity.”
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