Pope warns AI poses greatest challenge to humanity, demands global regulation

Pope Leo XIV has called for urgent global regulation of artificial intelligence, describing it as “the greatest challenge humanity faces today,” Swedish public broadcaster SVT reports.

In his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, issued Monday, the pope cautioned that AI risks becoming controlled by a powerful few and must be “disarmed of the logic behind military, economic, and cognitive competition.” He invoked the biblical Tower of Babel as a metaphor for unchecked technological ambition.

Church historian Joel Halldorf told SVT the statement could reshape the AI debate by introducing stronger ethical language. “Many feel politicians and tech leaders are retreating from these questions, focusing instead on power and money,” Halldorf said. “The pope offers an alternative way to discuss AI—one grounded in morality.”

While the pope’s warning highlights risks, tech reporter Evelina Galli noted his balanced stance. “He also emphasizes AI’s potential for good,” Galli said in SVT’s Morgonstudion. Concerns over AI have shifted from abstract fears to concrete issues, she added, particularly among younger generations worried about job displacement, economic disruption, and environmental impact.

The pope’s intervention follows growing opposition to AI expansion, including weekend protests in Vancouver against planned data centers.