Pope Leo Issues AI Encyclical Warning That ‘Opaque Algorithms’ Controlled by a ‘Few’ Companies Can Bring ‘New Forms of Dehumanisation’

May 25, 2026 3:43am PT Pope Leo Issues AI Encyclical Warning That ‘Opaque Algorithms’ Controlled by a ‘Few’ Companies Can Bring ‘New Forms of Dehumanisation’

By Nick Vivarelli

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Nick Vivarelli

International Correspondent

@NickVivarelli

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Pope Leo XIV on Monday launched an impassioned call for regulation of Artificial Intelligence, warning that “opaque algorithms,” controlled by a handful of powerful private companies, can bring “new forms of dehumanisation,”

On an eagerly awaited new encyclical called (Magnificent Humanity) – an encyclical is an ancient form of Vatican communication – Pope Leo also warned that it is crucial that AI must not remain in the hands “of a few,” underlining that AI technology was recently used during the U.S.-Israel War on Iran.

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