In the document \u2013 comprising around 42,300 words in its English translation \u2013 the pope writes: \u201cTo disarm does not mean rejecting technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity.\u201d<\/p>\n
Encyclicals are exceptionally important papal documents that respond to the most pressing social issues of the time. Typically written as letters to all bishops and archbishops, they have become a crucial vehicle for disseminating the theology and political commitments of the Roman Catholic Church across the world.<\/p>\n Leo chose to sign his first encyclical on May 15 2026, the exact anniversary of Pope Leo XIII\u2019s<\/a> \u201cRerum novarum\u201d (\u201cOf new things\u201d). This famous encyclical, which responded to the technological advances of the industrial revolution, became the foundational document of all modern Catholic social teaching<\/a>.<\/p>\n Indeed, the current pope probably chose the name Leo <\/a> because of Leo XIII\u2019s renowned commitment to social justice.<\/p>\n Just as \u201cRerum novarum\u201d responded to the industrial revolution by emphasising workers\u2019 rights and the dignity of human labour, so too Leo XIV has responded to the explosion of AI technology by emphasising the importance of human over machine intelligence.<\/p>\n In 1891, Leo XIII wrote: \u201cWage-earners \u2026 should be specially cared for and protected by the government.\u201d<\/p>\n Leo XIV now makes similar appeals to world governments about AI: \u201cIt is necessary to establish adequate regulatory tools capable of upholding justice and curbing the distorting effects of technological power.\u201d<\/p>\n The current pope follows a long tradition of Catholic engagement with new tech \u2013 from concerns about the impact of the printing press<\/a> in the 15th century to the rise of the internet<\/a> over 500 years later.<\/p>\n Leo XIV\u2019s presentation was preceded by a short film which juxtaposed images of previous popes with major technological innovations. Radio towers gave way to images of broadband centres; early computers to a sea of people holding up their smartphones in St Peter\u2019s Square, Vatican City.<\/p>\n Perhaps the crucial theme of this video was the connection between technology and war. Pictures of second world war aircraft were intercut with the dropping of the atomic bomb, soon followed by images of the 9\/11 attacks<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the encyclical, Leo warns: \u201cThe growing ease with which autonomous weapons systems can be deployed makes war more \u2018feasible\u2019 and less subject to human control.\u201d<\/p>\n Leo XIV isn\u2019t the first pope to address the potential threat posed by AI technology. In January 2025, his predecessor Francis signed off the doctrinal note<\/a> \u201cAntiqua et nova\u201d (\u201cAncient and new\u201d) \u2013 which called for AI technology \u201cto include the least of our brothers and sisters, the vulnerable and those most in need\u201d. <\/p>\n Leo\u2019s new call for the disarmament of AI is not a demand to discontinue its development, but to regulate AI robustly so it only serves the common good.<\/p>\n In this, the pope drew an analogy with the nuclear disarmament movement, suggesting that both nuclear and AI technologies should only be developed for the good of humanity, and never used as weapons. <\/p>\n Those invited to offer their thoughts on Leo\u2019s encyclical included Christopher Olah, the Canadian billionaire and co-founder of AI firm Anthropic<\/a>. The appearance of Olah marks the first time a speaker entirely outside clerical or theological circles has been included in such a presentation.<\/p>\n![\"Pope](\"https:\/\/images.theconversation.com\/files\/737732\/original\/file-20260523-57-o6mvvv.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip\")
<\/a>
\n Wikimedia<\/a><\/span>
\n <\/figcaption><\/figure>\nCall for disarmament<\/h2>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/283432\/count.gif\")
<\/p>\n