Pope Leo XIV to Release First Encyclical on AI and Human Dignity

Pope Leo XIV will publish his first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas, on May 25, addressing the safeguarding of the human person in the time of artificial intelligence, according to Vatican News. The letter bears the Pope’s signature dated May 15, coinciding with the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum novarum.

The encyclical will be presented at 11:30 a.m. in the Vatican’s Synod Hall. Pope Leo XIV will attend alongside Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith; Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; Professor Anna Rowlands of Durham University; Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic; and Professor Leocadie Lushombo of Santa Clara University. Cardinal Secretary of State Pietro Parolin will deliver closing remarks before the Pope’s address and blessing.

The announcement follows the creation of a new Vatican commission on artificial intelligence, established on May 16 to coordinate AI policy and ethics across Church institutions. The commission includes representatives from multiple Vatican bodies and will oversee AI use within the Holy See. The encyclical is expected to frame AI issues within the Church’s social teaching on labor, justice, and human dignity.

Pope Leo XIV, a former mathematics student and the first American pontiff, has identified artificial intelligence as a central challenge of his papacy. He has previously warned that AI must respect human dignity and be used responsibly for the common good, continuing the Vatican’s engagement with ethical technology under the Vatican’s guidance.