VATICAN CITY (AP) 鈥� Pope Leo XIV has issued in the era of artificial intelligence, examining the many social areas that the technology is fundamentally reshaping.
Here are some excerpts from the 83-page document 鈥淢agnifica Humanitas鈥� (Magnificent Humanity) released on Monday.
Democracy
Leo says that disinformation 鈥渇ound a powerful amplifier鈥� with AI through the ability to 鈥渕anipulate content, images and videos,鈥� which exposes people to 鈥渂iased or misleading perspectives.鈥� The pontiff said democracy is weakened when pragmatism, that is 鈥渨hat appears useful effective,鈥� substitutes for truth. 鈥淚ndifference to the truth leads, slowly but surely, to a descent to totalitarianism,鈥� Leo wrote.
Social media
Leo said that those who control digital platforms, including social media, have a power that 鈥渟hould be constantly guided by the pursuit of truth or respect for human dignity.鈥� The internet should be seen as 鈥渁 setting in which inner freedom and critical thought can mature,鈥欌�� and not 鈥渁n instrument of excessive distraction, homogenization or dominance.鈥� The backdrop is that communication not only transmits information but creates culture.
Labor
Leo said the workplace must be governed by 鈥渢he protection of employment opportunities and the irreplaceable role of the individual.鈥� He warned that 鈥渢he pursuit of greater profits cannot justify choices that systematically sacrifice jobs, because the human person is an end, not a means, and the economic order must remain subordinate to human dignity and the common good.鈥� Leo also said governments must foster conditions that favor employment 鈥渟ince it is a primary good for families and for societies.鈥�
War
Leo said that AI 鈥渃an only bring conflict about more quickly and render it more impersonal.鈥� He called for concrete criteria when making a decision to strike. That includes an identifiable chain of responsibility applying also to 鈥渢hose who design, train, authorize and employ technology,鈥� and measures, so that target selection takes into account the difference between combatants and noncombatants, and the impact on defenseless populations. Non-negotiable requirements include guarantees of accountability and that deployment of lethal force cannot be automated. Leo also called for a shared international framework 鈥渢o curb the technological arms race and ensure robust protection for civilians.鈥�
Economy
Leo noted that the world鈥檚 wealth 鈥渋s increasingly concentrated in fewer hands, widening inequalities.鈥� In the age of AI and robotics, it is no longer possible to rely solely on the 鈥渋nvisible hand鈥� of the market,鈥� Leo wrote, urging politicians to orient policies toward 鈥渢he common good鈥� and to promote 鈥渄ignified work, social inclusion and an equitable distribution of the benefits of innovation.鈥�
Human Trafficking
Leo underlined the role of digital networks 鈥� including online platforms, messaging systems, anonymous payment methods 鈥� in human trafficking, which he said 鈥渕ust be recognized as a contemporary form of slavery.鈥� He warned that failing to respond to or tolerating these practices risks complicity in 鈥渢oday鈥檚 sins, which are akin to those of the past when slavery was being concealed and justified.鈥�
Environment
Leo also addressed the environmental costs of the data centers that are generating AI models, consuming 鈥渆normous amounts of energy and water, significantly influencing carbon dioxide emissions.鈥� As demands increase, especially for large language models, Leo called for the development of more sustainable technological solutions.
Youth impact
Leo called for an alliance among policymakers, educational institutions and families to help navigate the 鈥渃ulture of immediacy and hyperstimulation鈥� created by digital media. He also highlighted how AI amplifies the danger of predation on young people, and warned against having personal mobile devices at too young an age. 鈥淥nline phenomena such as grooming, blackmail and the sexual exploitation of minors are not uncommon, and are made more insidious by the use of fake profiles, algorithms that facilitate dangerous contact, and AI tools capable of manipulating images and videos,鈥� the pope wrote.
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