The Indicator from Planet Money · Thursday, July 16, 2026
Pope Leo XIV has issued his first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas," calling for artificial intelligence to be "disarmed." The letter, drawing parallels to Pope Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical "Rerum Novarum" addressing industrial upheaval, warns of the potential negative consequences of AI on humanity and human relationships.
“Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed.”
“Today, we find ourselves facing a transformation of similar magnitude, with perhaps even greater consequences. Artificial intelligence already touches many areas of our lives and affects decisions that shape human coexistence.”
“The question here is not so much AI itself, but really who are we as human beings in this age and how can we keep ourselves human and how can this new discovery really serve us as human beings and serve the common good?”