Andrea Tornielli
In the age of artificial intelligence, when human dignity is increasingly lost in the shadow of uncontrolled technological power and new forms of dehumanization, Pope Leo reminds us of the “urgent duty” to remain truly human. In an era of polarization and violence, where the “culture of power” is expanding, and war is once again considered a tool of international politics, the Successor of St. Peter calls us to develop technology in such a way as to prevent the “retreat of the heart”.
He encourages us to embrace the limitations and fragility of human nature, not treating them—as technocratic ideology does—as a flaw to be corrected. He calls us to look at the world not from the perspective of the powerful, but from below, through the eyes of those who suffer, starting with the most excluded. Through the eyes of God, who took on our weakness and made it a place of salvation. Because “even when machines achieve extraordinary efficiency, the center of history remains the human face, which demands to be seen”.
“Magnifica humanitas”, Leo XIV’s first encyclical, is not primarily an analytical study dedicated to artificial intelligence, nor does it delve into the details of processes that are constantly evolving. Rather, it is a kind of “summa”, applying the principles of Catholic social teaching to our times—the age of artificial intelligence—and organizing and updating the most important themes of the Church’s teaching.
The document also puts an end to the misconception of those who, trusting in the absolute freedom of markets and new technologies, are inclined to reduce papal teaching to the status of a debatable opinion. This applies to the call for common, human management of artificial intelligence, integral ecology, economic structures becoming “structures of sin”, and opposition to war.
The Pope, who took the name of the author of the encyclical “Rerum novarum”, in the era of the digital revolution, calls each of us to commitment, because the building of a “civilization of love” consists of “the sum of small and persistent acts of fidelity”, capable of stopping dehumanization. It is, therefore, a task that concerns all of us very directly.
Leo XIV reminds us that “injustices do not arise solely from the erroneous decisions of individuals, but also from structures, mechanisms, and economic and cultural systems that almost automatically cause inequality”. And also, that “development that increases the consumption of some, while shifting costs and wounds onto others, or that relegates entire regions to subordinate roles, is not human”, which unfortunately is also happening today in the area of new technologies and the resources they require.
The encyclical states that the social function of private property is a “certain doctrine” of the Church. Today, among the goods intended for the common good, “we must also include new forms of ownership: patents, algorithms, digital platforms, technological infrastructure, and data”. This is necessary to prevent the emergence and perpetuation of new forms of exclusion and restrictions on freedom. Technology is not merely a simple tool. When it becomes the fundamental criterion for evaluating reality, “it decides what matters and what can be discarded”. Consequently, people are reduced to the role of “cogs in a system that is to be increasingly efficient”.
Today, control over platforms, infrastructure, data, and computing power “does not belong to states, but to large economic and technological entities”, which determine access conditions, rules for content visibility, and even the very possibilities of participation. When such great power is concentrated in the hands of a few, “it tends to become opaque and escape public control”, which carries the risk of distorted development, “which generates new dependencies, exclusions, manipulations, and inequalities”.
The Pope, departing from the theory of “just war”, emphasizes that the use of artificial intelligence in warfare should be subject to “the strictest ethical limitations”, because “there is no algorithm that could make war morally permissible”. He also points out that artificial intelligence has become an important tool for shaping public opinion through the manipulation of images and content, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish truth from falsehood.
Many unknowns also concern the labor market. The encyclical reminds us that we can no longer rely solely on the “invisible hand of the market”. It is politics and public institutions that should guide economic and technological development towards the common good, supporting dignified working conditions, social integration, and a fair distribution of the benefits of innovation.
To remain human, to control processes, and to prevent—also in this field—the formation of monopolies that strengthen the power of a few at the expense of the lives of many. This is the path indicated by the Pope. It does not mean erecting barricades or a priori rejecting artificial intelligence. On the contrary, it recognizes its many advantages and many useful applications. At the same time, it emphasizes that it is not enough to ask only the ethical question of whether it is used for good or bad purposes.
It is necessary to look at the technology itself. One must also ask how a given system is designed and what vision of humanity and society has been embedded in the data and models that guide it. Therefore, appropriate legal frameworks, independent oversight, and user education are needed. Also needed—once again—is “a politics that does not renounce its own task”. Otherwise, transformations will be governed solely by technocratic logic. It will be presented as “necessary and inevitable”. As a result, rules dictated by those who possess data, infrastructure, and computing power will be imposed.
It is therefore necessary to “disarm” artificial intelligence, that is, to “break the equivalence between technical power and the right to govern”. Not to abandon technology, but to prevent its domination over humanity. Artificial intelligence should remain a subject of debate and critical evaluation. It must be subject to social judgment. Only then will it become a space in which one can live and act responsibly. Precisely so as not to renounce our humanity—so fragile, yet so magnificent.
