Pope Leo XIV says AI cannot be ‘morally neutral’

Pope Leo XIV posted on X on Thursday that artificial intelligence cannot be considered "morally neutral," extending his campaign to position the Catholic Church as a leading ethical voice in the global AI debate.

"We cannot consider #AI to be morally neutral," the pope wrote on his official @Pontifex account. "In reality, every technical tool embodies choices and priorities through what it measures, ignores and optimizes." He added that ethical evaluation must "scrutinize how that system is crafted and what perspective regarding humanity and society is embedded within the data and frameworks that steer it."thewrap+1

The pope also called for clear lines of accountability in AI development. "It should be possible to pinpoint who is responsible for decisions, provide justifications for them, monitor their outcomes, and, when necessary, contest them and rectify any resultant harm," he wrote.thewrap

Rooted in Magnifica Humanitas

Thursday's post draws directly from Leo's first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, a 43,000-word document released on May 25 at the Vatican and signed on May 15, the anniversary of Rerum Novarum. The encyclical — the first papal teaching of its kind devoted to artificial intelligence — warns that the AI race risks becoming a "new Tower of Babel" that centralizes power, undermines truth, and reduces people to data points.axios+1

Among its sharpest assertions: "No algorithm can make war morally acceptable." The document calls for regulation of AI firms, worker protections, and educational safeguards for children.thewrap+1

A Growing Global Conversation

In the month since the encyclical's publication, it has drawn responses from across higher education and religious communities. Georgetown University hosted a June 3 discussion on the document's implications. The Diocese of San Jose organized a June 6 event titled "Where Rome Meets Silicon Valley," held at Our Lady of Peace Church in Santa Clara, California. A panel on AI and human dignity organized by the Media Education Lab is scheduled for July 6.mediaeducationlab+2

Ethicist Charles Camosy, interpreting the encyclical, noted that the pope is not calling for AI avoidance but for intentionality. "Use AI intentionally, with the right reason, with the right understanding, and not in this race to the bottom where we just go as fast as possible," Camosy said.bustedhalo