Pope Leo XIV's Sharp Warning Targets World's Richest
Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia - The development of artificial intelligence (AI) has sparked diverse responses from various sectors, including technology experts, policymakers, and religious figures. One of the most forceful and globally noticed reactions comes from Pope Leo XIV.
Pope Leo recently issued an encyclical, a document containing teachings from the Catholic Church leader to all global Catholic churches. One of the topics discussed in the letter titled Magnifica Humanitas is AI, including its impact on humanity.
In his statement, Pope Leo emphasised that no technological advancement should sacrifice fundamental human values. He reminded that AI is fundamentally a tool created by humans, so responsibility for its use, consequences, and development goals remains with humanity.
“AI now demands to be disarmed, freed from the logic that turns it into a tool of domination, exclusion, and death. Like nuclear energy, it must serve everyone and the common good,” Pope Leo stated in the encyclical, one of the boldest and clearest remarks ever made by a Catholic leader on this technology.
He argued that the greatest risk is not the technology itself, but humanity’s inability or unwillingness to regulate it with ethical and just principles. He also warned that uncontrolled development could lead to new forms of injustice, even what he termed “new forms of slavery” if control of this technology remains in the hands of a few.
“Technology is never neutral, as it is shaped by those who conceive, fund, regulate, and use it. Therefore, the choice is not between accepting or rejecting technology, but between building Babel or Jerusalem, between powers claiming to dominate heaven and those working together before God to build walls of brotherhood,” wrote Pope Leo in the encyclical.
One key point raised by the Pope is concern over inequality exacerbated by AI. He highlighted how access and control of AI are limited to certain nations or companies, creating a widening gap.
The development of AI technology has become a “battleground” for a handful of US-based companies dominated by billionaires such as Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg, and Jeff Bezos. Musk’s xAI company, Zuckerberg’s Meta with hundreds of billions of dollars invested in AI, and Amazon’s Bezos adopting AI which has led to thousands losing jobs. Other major companies competing for AI dominance include Microsoft, Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic.
Those with access to AI can advance while others bear the negative consequences, including job losses, loss of personal data control, and erosion of human values.
“Artificial intelligence and digital technology can damage humanity, disrupt human relationships, and distort reality unless guided by responsibility and rooted in education and noble values,” he added, stressing that human control must always prevail over the systems we create.
This statement has drawn global attention as one of the most detailed and firm declarations from a world religious leader on the future of technology. For many, the core message is clear: humanity must not be controlled by its own creations. Technology must remain a tool to enhance welfare, brotherhood, and justice, not the opposite.