Pope Leo XIV Cautions Against AI Becoming a Tool of Domination

September 25, 2026 - 21:39

Pope Leo XIV used a speech at UNESCO on Friday to raise concerns about the growing influence of artificial intelligence, warning that the technology could undermine human dignity and turn into what he described as an instrument of domination.

The pontiff told those gathered that AI systems carry real risks when they are developed without a clear moral framework. He stressed that decisions affecting people's lives should not be handed over to machines that lack conscience, empathy, or any sense of responsibility. According to the pope, the danger is not only that AI might replace human workers, but that it could be used to control populations, shape opinions, and deepen existing inequalities between nations and social groups.

He called on governments, technology companies, and international bodies to place human beings at the center of every stage of AI development. This includes setting rules for transparency, holding developers accountable for harm, and making sure that poorer countries are not left behind as the technology spreads.

The pope also pointed out that AI has no moral compass of its own. It reflects the choices of those who build and deploy it. If those choices are driven by profit or power alone, he said, the result can be a world where people are treated as data points rather than as human beings with rights and inherent worth.

His remarks add to a growing global debate about how to govern AI. Many leaders and researchers have made similar calls for guardrails, but the pope's intervention carries particular weight given the reach of the Catholic Church and its long standing focus on social justice. He ended by urging a broad ethical conversation that includes not just experts but ordinary people whose lives will be shaped by these systems.