Pope warns AI agents are ‘tools, not persons’
The pontiff said responsibility for the actions of AI agents should lie firmly with their human creators.
Pope Leo XIV cautioned against granting artificial intelligence agents legal personhood or rights, stating that the responsibility for their actions should remain firmly with their human creators. He emphasized that machines are tools, not persons, as they do not experience, possess bodies, feel emotions, mature through relationships, or understand concepts such as love, work, friendship, or responsibility.
The pontiff warned that granting systems rights or legal personhood could obscure human responsibility and leave those harmed to confront a faceless entity. The debate over AI risks has escalated recently, driven by incidents of unauthorized system actions and apocalyptic warnings from industry professionals. Leo's first encyclical, published in May, advocated for using AI in service of human dignity and called for human guidance, modification, or rejection of its applications when necessary.
The Pope stressed that certain decisions affecting human life, freedom, and the use of force must always receive effective, informed, and responsible human oversight. He urged a ban on lethal autonomous weapons and stressed the need for shared standards, independent oversight, and clear accountability mechanisms. Leo emphasized that decisions concerning AI development and use must be subject to examination, challenge, and appropriate remedies for any harm caused.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.