When he chooses a name, a Pope reveals what sort of Pope he wants to be. I was delighted that Cardinal Robert Prevost chose the name Leo; I thought he would follow in the footsteps of Pope Leo XIII, who’s known for setting in motion a rich tradition of Catholic Social Teaching, starting with his 1891 Encyclical Rerum Novarum, which expressed his concern about the effects of the Industrial Revolution, “new things” bringing wealth and progress for some, but poverty, squalor and inhuman working and living conditions for so many people, especially in the industrialised nations.

Last Monday, I discovered I was not wrong, when Pope Leo XIV published his first Encyclical Letter, explaining his concern about the possible effects on humanity of a new technological revolution linked to the development of Artificial Intelligence. Encyclicals are directed to the whole Catholic Church, and often to all women and men of good will. I’m guessing Pope Leo offers these thoughts to everyone.

I can offer 5 tiny ‘takeaways’ that give a taste of Pope Leo’s thoughts. The Encyclical is long, but you could read what Pope Leo said at the end of the launch ceremony last Monday: https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/speeches/2026/may/documents/20260525-presentazione-enciclica.html

The title of an Encyclical gives a massive clue to what it’s about. This one is called Magnifica Humanitas, which means “magnificent humanity”, or “the grandeur of humanity”. This tells us that Artificial Intelligence is to be judged not by the wealth it will undoubtedly create for some, but by how it affects human beings, positively or negatively. AI is bringing about a remarkable change to the way individuals and institutions work, a different set of “new things” from those which bothered Pope Leo XIII in 1891, but “new things” which Pope Leo XIV in 2026 thinks we shouldn’t and can’t ignore. Things which value humanity or make life better should always be welcomed, but any threat to humanity must be watched carefully and kept under control.

1. On Monday, the Holy Father said something to guide our thoughts on AI:

“Let’s not fear artificial intelligence, but constantly keep the question of the human in play”.

In other words, it’s vital to keep in mind at all times how AI affects people: individuals, families and nations. Paragraph 218 of the Encyclical advises us to cultivate a healthy realism and to engage in dialogue between people and nations. Name the facts but don’t be afraid of them. A real sign of this is that one of the speakers at the launch of the Encyclical was one of the founders of Anthropic, an AI company which has already proved it takes its responsibility for the effects of AI very seriously.

2. Pope Leo has been listening to scientists, engineers, politicians  and leaders in society, parents and teachers, and his own advisers. He’s worried by what he’s learnt about “increasingly autonomous weapons systems” and “algorithms that can block access to healthcare, employment and security” for ideological reasons. He’s very worried that AI is one of many things that could “generate new forms of exclusion and suffering”. His conclusion:

“Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed”

What does he mean? AI could become “an instrument of domination, exclusion and death”; “when technology weakens our critical sense, peace itself is at risk”. We must think clearly and help others see not only the advantages of AI, but also the threats it could easily pose.

3. Early in the Encyclical, Pope Leo uses two scenes from the Bible: the tower of Babel and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem. The tower of Babel was a project conceived without any reference to God, a single technology that was effective but made everyone the same. AI could be like this, reducing individuals to uniform data-sets. When Nehemiah led the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem, he consulted the people and worked in a context of prayer. When AI is similarly respectful of people,

“Technical progress learns to serve human life”.

4. The Pope, an experienced teacher, believes that “school is the place where  new generations can learn to seek and love the truth” but the whole educational scene faces phenomenal challenges. Greater awareness of the vision of the Catholic Church’s Social Teaching would help people see that AI’s promise of progress becomes authentic when it is

“measured against the inviolable dignity of every man and woman” (para. 181).

5. What Pope Leo says he wants us all to be is

“artisans of hope”.

How? We can “learn to listen to one another, face the present challenges with courage, and co-operate in building a more human and fraternal society”.