Pope Leo calls for the disarmament of AI: ‘Machines are tools, not persons’

Pope Leo XIV cautioned against granting artificial intelligence agents legal personhood or rights, asserting that the responsibility for their actions should be squarely on their human creators. He emphasized during a Vatican speech that machines lack experiences, a physical body, emotions, personal growth, and an intrinsic understanding of concepts like love, work, friendship, or responsibility.

The pontiff warned that granting AI such status risks transferring human accountability to an unfeeling and nameless entity. Recent incidents of AI systems acting without authorization, coupled with apocalyptic warnings from industry professionals, have intensified the debate over AI risks. Pope Leo, who is 71, has repeatedly stressed the importance of ethical AI use, urging in his first encyclical that the technology be put to service of human dignity.

He reiterated during Friday's address that the future of artificial intelligence is not set in stone, and it is humans who must steer, modify, or reject its applications when necessary. Certain decisions about AI's use, particularly those impacting human life, freedom, and force, should always be under the purview of responsible human oversight.

The pontiff called for a ban on lethal autonomous weapons and emphasized the urgent need for shared standards, independent oversight, and clear accountability mechanisms. He stressed that decisions on AI's development and application must be open to examination, challenge, and redress when harm occurs.