The danger is not that AI thinks for us, but that we stop thinking for ourselves. The time has come to awake. “Magnifica Humanitas,” Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, presents a strong appeal to defend the human person in the age of artificial intelligence. It begins from a simple but urgent conviction: technology is not the real threat, but the loss of human responsibility in a world increasingly shaped by machines.
Presented on May 25 in the presence of the Pope himself, the document follows the tradition of Catholic social teaching, especially Rerum Novarum of Pope Leo XIII. It was signed on May 15, marking the 135th anniversary of that historic text. Just as Rerum Novarum responded to the industrial revolution and the social question of workers, Magnifica Humanitas responds to today’s technological revolution. Artificial intelligence, digital systems, and robotics are reshaping work, relationships, and knowledge itself.
The document calls for the need to “disarm technology,” freeing it from the control of Big Tech companies described as “more influential than governments.” It warns against a growing form of “digital colonialism” that turns human lives into exploitable data and identifies the control of information as one of today’s most urgent moral challenges.
Human Dignity Under Pressure in the Digital World
From the beginning, the encyclical places human dignity at the center. It repeatedly uses the word “dignity” of the human person 101 times and the expression “common good” 61 times. Both are presented as being under pressure from technologies that are powerful, widespread, and increasingly difficult to control.
The Pope warns that these developments risk building “a new form of Babel: a grand but inhuman construction,” where life is governed by “efficiency and profit,” and power is concentrated “in a few hands” of global private actors. The document states:
“We must, then, avoid the ‘Babel syndrome,’ namely the idolatry of profit that sacrifices the weak, a uniformity that neutralizes differences, and the pretense that a single language, even a digital one, can translate everything, including the mystery of the person, into data and performance.”
The encyclical identifies digital colonialism as one of the greatest dangers. Systems increasingly “appropriate data, transforming personal lives into exploitable information.” Personal experience becomes raw material for profit. It also warns that digital systems blur “the boundaries between truth and falsehood,” making it easier to manipulate public opinion and weaken trust in information. Algorithms increasingly shape what people see and think, creating new forms of social control.
The Pope also addresses technological unemployment and the risk that workers may be replaced by machines without adequate protection. Economic progress, he insists, cannot be justified if it leads to exclusion. He calls for broader ways of measuring development beyond Gross Domestic Product to include human dignity, working conditions, and care for the environment. Finance, he adds, must serve development rather than become an end in itself.
The encyclical also highlights the concentration of digital power. Large technology companies now influence access to information, visibility in digital spaces, and participation in public life. Without public oversight, technology risks becoming opaque, unaccountable, and driven solely by private interests.
Ethics, Peace, and Truth in the Digital Age
A key proposal of the document is the call to “disarm technology.” This does not mean rejecting innovation but ensuring it is not controlled by monopolies or used for domination. The Pope calls for stronger public regulation, international cooperation, and legal frameworks that ensure technology serves “the dignity of every person and the common good.”
Work and family life are also central concerns. Work remains a key element of human dignity but is increasingly threatened by automation. The family, too, is described as fragile and affected by digital pressure, economic insecurity, and changing social habits shaped by technology.
A significant section of the encyclical is dedicated to war and artificial intelligence. The text states that the concept of a “just war” is outdated in the digital age. It condemns autonomous weapons systems, insisting that “no algorithm can make war morally acceptable.” Decisions involving life and death, it says, must always remain under human responsibility.
The Pope also warns about cyber warfare, disinformation campaigns, and the use of algorithms to deepen social divisions. In response, the encyclical calls for peace based on justice, dialogue, and reform of international institutions. It also emphasizes the need to “disarm language,” rejecting hatred and polarization in public communication.
“Let us disarm words and we will help to disarm the world.”
Another major theme is the crisis of truth. In today’s digital environment, information can be manipulated by powerful actors. The encyclical insists that truth is not the property of those with influence but a “common good essential for democracy.” It calls for education that strengthens critical thinking, discipline in technology use, and the ability to distinguish truth from manipulation. Schools are encouraged to promote silence, reflection, and deeper learning in response to constant distraction.
A Call to Renewal
The document also turns inward, calling the Church itself to renewal. It asks for examination of conscience, listening to victims of abuse, and removing structures that create inequality or injustice. Justice, repair, and prevention are presented as essential parts of the Church’s mission.
At its heart, Magnifica Humanitas is a call to moral responsibility in a rapidly changing world. It does not reject technology but insists that it remain at the service of the human person. True progress is measured not only by innovation but also by justice, fraternity, and care for creation.
The encyclical closes with hope and responsibility. Humanity is invited to resist every attempt to reduce life to data, efficiency, or control. Instead, it is called to build a future rooted in dignity, solidarity, and the common good. Above all, it ends with a simple but powerful appeal:
