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In his first formal audience on May 10, 2025, Pope Leo XIV made it clear: AI threatens human dignity and represents one of the most urgent challenges humanity faces today. He emphasized the Church’s role in defending dignity, justice, and labor in a world being reshaped by artificial intelligence.
The Echo of a Past Pope
Pope Leo XIV drew a direct line between today’s AI revolution and the industrial revolution of the 19th century. By invoking Pope Leo XIII—author of the 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum on workers’ rights—he positioned himself as a moral voice in a new age of disruption.
His message: just as machines once displaced workers and reshaped economies, AI now does the same—but on a deeper, more personal level where AI threatens human dignity by redefining the value of work and identity.
The Risk of a Dehumanized Future
Leo’s warning wasn’t just theoretical. He echoed growing fears that AI could reduce relationships to data, remove compassion from decision-making, and erode essential human values. Left unchecked, AI threatens human dignity by replacing moral reasoning with automated logic.
This concern aligns with Pope Francis’ 2024 call for an international treaty to regulate AI. Francis warned that powerful technologies—especially in healthcare, employment, and war—must not operate without human oversight.
Leo XIV reaffirmed this call, stressing that human beings—not algorithms—must remain at the center of every ethical decision.
Continuing the Francis Legacy
Leo XIV also pledged to continue the core reforms of Pope Francis. That means a more inclusive Church, one that listens to the marginalized and applies the Second Vatican Council’s principles of dialogue with the modern world.
He reaffirmed his episcopal motto, “In Illo uno unum”—“In the one Christ, we are one.” This, he said, must guide efforts to bridge digital divides and ensure AI serves unity, not division.
In a fragmented digital age, Leo sees solidarity as the antidote to a future where AI threatens human dignity and weakens human connection.
A Church That Speaks to the Moment
In his address, Pope Leo laid out a clear theme:
- Labor and dignity: The Church will advocate for workers displaced by automation.
- Justice and ethics: Tech must be guided by values, not just innovation.
- Unity and reform: The Church must be a global voice for fairness and inclusion.
The Catholic Church, Leo said, isn’t resisting technology—but it must lead the ethical conversation when AI threatens human dignity and social cohesion.
Final Takeaway
Pope Leo XIV has announced a bold, modern mission: to position the Church at the front lines of the global AI debate. Drawing on centuries of Catholic social teaching, he’s warning the world—when progress outpaces values, AI threatens human dignity, and it’s time to act.
