Pope Leo XIV issues 'Magnifica Humanitas' encyclical on AI and human dignity

Pope Leo XIV released the encyclical *Magnifica Humanitas*, warning that artificial intelligence threatens human dignity and urging a "civilization of love" as an ethical alternative to the "culture of power." The document criticises the just‑war theory as outdated, calls for strict ethical limits on AI in warfare and advocates for meaningful human control over nuclear launch decisions.

On 17 July the Pontifical Theological Faculty of Sicily in Palermo hosted a multidisciplinary discussion of the encyclical, attended by regional president Renato Schifani and senior judges who stressed the irreplaceable role of human judgement in law and AI‑driven systems. The following day, a gathering of more than two dozen Nobel laureates in Rome signed the "Rome Declaration on an Unarmed and Disarming Peace in the Age of Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Weapons," describing the encyclical as a “clarion call” and “a giant step forward” for preventing AI‑driven nuclear conflict.

Commentary across Italy, Turkey, Germany, Brazil and other nations highlights the encyclical’s call for a social doctrine that integrates faith, science and technology, promoting charity, justice and solidarity as foundations for future AI governance.