The Catholic Church is preparing to enter the global debate on artificial intelligence, with Pope Leo XIV expected to release a major document outlining the Church’s position on the fast-growing technology.
The manifesto, titled Magnifica Humanitas (“Magnificent Humanity”), is scheduled for presentation at the Vatican on Monday and is expected to focus on the ethical, moral, and social implications of AI as its influence expands worldwide.
In a historic first for the Church, the Pope will personally attend the unveiling of the encyclical, underscoring the significance the Vatican is placing on the issue.
The event is also set to bring together senior Vatican officials and leading figures from the technology sector, including a co-founder of Anthropic, one of the major companies shaping the AI industry.
Anthropic has recently drawn international attention over its stance on military applications of artificial intelligence. The company is currently engaged in a legal dispute involving the US military after declining to alter internal policies that prohibit the use of its Claude AI model for lethal autonomous weapons or large-scale surveillance operations.
The Vatican’s latest move signals growing concern within global institutions over the pace of AI development and its potential impact on humanity, governance, privacy, and warfare.
