Pope Calls on Governments to Slow AI Development

In his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV has called on governments to slow the development of artificial intelligence, warning against the spread of misinformation, growing conflicts and the risk of prolonged wars.

"What is needed is a more active political involvement that is capable of slowing things down when everything is accelerating", the pope said in the document. He also called for "robust legal frameworks, independent oversight and informed users".

Leo XIV also criticized the use of AI in the military, saying it was unacceptable for machines to make life-and-death decisions. He argued that the theory of "just war" is now outdated, and drew attention to the brutality of current conflicts and the weakening of international organizations.

The pope also addressed the social consequences of technological development, warning of "new forms of slavery" in the production of technological equipment and citing children working in dangerous conditions in the extraction of precious raw materials.

The encyclical also acknowledged the Catholic Church's historical failure to condemn transatlantic slavery. "For this, in the name of the Church, I sincerely ask for pardon", Leo XIV wrote.

(reuters, bak)