Pope Leo to issue AI encyclical

Pope Leo XIV said on May 18 that he will publish his first encyclical on May 25, making artificial intelligence the subject of the first major teaching document of his pontificate. The Vatican said the text is titled *Magnifica humanitas* and concerns safeguarding the human person in the age of artificial intelligence. Leo is also scheduled to appear in person at the Vatican presentation, alongside Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah. ### What exactly is being released on May 25? The Vatican said the document is an encyclical, one of the highest forms of papal teaching letters, and named it *Magnifica humanitas*. Vatican News said the subtitle is “on safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence,” while other church outlets rendered it as protecting human dignity in the age of AI. (usnews.com) May 25 is the publication date, and the Vatican has scheduled a same-day presentation event in the Synod Hall. EWTN and Vatican News reported the presentation is set for 11:30 a.m. Rome time, with Leo participating personally. ### Why is this notable inside the Catholic Church? Pope Leo XIV is making AI the topic of his first encyclical, rather than beginning with a more traditional subject such as internal church governance, doctrine or diplomacy. (vaticannews.va) Reuters reported that the text is expected to outline Leo’s concerns about the rise of AI and may address its effects on warfare and workers’ rights, according to sources. May 15 also carries symbolic weight in the rollout. Several Catholic outlets reported Leo signed the document that day, the 135th anniversary of *Rerum Novarum*, Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical on labor and capital that became a foundation of modern Catholic social teaching. ### Why is Christopher Olah involved? (usnews.com) Christopher Olah is scheduled to appear with Leo at the Vatican launch, according to the Vatican announcement carried by AP, PBS and other outlets. That pairing is unusual because papal encyclical presentations are typically handled by church officials, theologians or Vatican experts rather than executives or researchers from a major AI company. (georgiabulletin.org) Anthropic has become one of the best-known AI companies in the current policy debate. Reuters and AP both described the event as a direct engagement between the Vatican and a leading AI figure as the church tries to frame the technology around ethical boundaries and human dignity. ### What issues is Leo expected to address? (apnews.com) Reuters reported the encyclical is likely to criticize the use of AI in warfare and discuss how the technology is challenging workers’ rights, citing sources familiar with the document. Vatican-linked coverage has described the theme more broadly as preserving the human person and protecting dignity amid rapid technological change. (usnews.com) America magazine reported Bishop Robert Barron Flores said the coming text should be read as part of a wider church effort to respond to the principal anxieties raised by AI. That framing aligns with the Vatican’s own description of the document as a social encyclical rather than a narrow technical statement. (usnews.com) ### Why does this reach beyond the Vatican? Artificial intelligence is already under scrutiny in sectors such as medicine, education, labor and defense, and the Vatican is inserting itself into that debate at a high level. PBS, citing the Vatican announcement, said the document is about care for human dignity in the era of AI, language that places moral limits and human judgment at the center of the church’s intervention. (americamagazine.org) May 25 is the next concrete milestone. The Vatican has said *Magnifica humanitas* will be published that day and presented in Rome by Pope Leo XIV with Christopher Olah and other speakers. (vaticannews.va) (pbs.org)