Pope Leo urges AI regulation and warns that some weapons are now beyond human control

Pope Leo XIV attends the presentation of his first Encyclical Letter "Magnifica Humanitas" focused on the rise of artificial intelligence, in The Vatican on May 25, 2026. (Photo by Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP via ) Alberto Pizzoli | Afp | Pope Leo urged governments to slow down and closely regulate the development of AI systems in his first major document, released on Monday, warning that they spread misinformation, prioritise conflict and risk leading the world down a path of unending war. The first U.S. pope also expressed concern at a Vatican event launching the text that some autonomous weapons systems have advanced "practically beyond any human reach to govern them". The event was also attended by Chris Olah, a co-founder of Anthropic, one of the world's top AI companies. Leo, who has adopted a more forceful tone in recent months and has drawn the ire of U.S. President Donald Trump after criticising the Iran war, made a range of impassioned appeals to world leaders in the lengthy document, known as an encyclical. The first U.S. pope called for ownership of AI data not to be left solely in private hands, for policy-makers to protect the rights of workers and keep children safe from the technology, and urged the cooling of competition between AI companies. "What is needed is a more active political involvement that is capable of slowing things down when everything is accelerating," said Leo in the text, entitled "Magnifica Humanitas" (Magnificent Humanity). …