Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to release his first encyclical, ‘Magnifica Humanitas’, on May 25, placing artificial intelligence at the centre of his first major teaching document as Pope.
Vatican News reported on May 18 that the encyclical is about “safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence.” The Holy See Press Office said the document bears the Pope’s signature dated May 15, the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum.
The document will be presented at 11.30 am at the Vatican’s Synod Hall, according to the Holy See Press Office. Pope Leo XIV will attend the presentation, which will end with his intervention and blessing.
The Vatican said the speakers will include Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. The panel will also include Anna Rowlands of Durham University, Leocadie Lushombo of Santa Clara University, and Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic and head of research on AI interpretability.
The release follows the Vatican’s approval of an Inter-Dicasterial Commission on Artificial Intelligence earlier this month. AI FrontPage reported on May 21 that Pope Leo XIV had approved the commission to study AI and its implications for humanity.
On May 16, the Holy See Press Office said Pope Leo XIV had approved the commission after considering the acceleration of AI, its potential effects on human beings and humanity, and the Church’s concern for human dignity.
The commission includes representatives from the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Dicastery for Culture and Education, and the Dicastery for Communication. It also includes the Pontifical Academy for Life, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences.
The Holy See said the commission will coordinate AI-related activities and projects, including policies on AI use within the Vatican. Its first year of coordination has been entrusted to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
The Diocese of Raleigh, citing Catholic News Service, described the encyclical as a landmark document on AI and human dignity. It said the text is expected to address the protection of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence.
The presence of Anthropic co-founder Olah is notable. Anthropic claims itself as the AI company that puts safety and risk mitigation at the forefront of its research, and the presence of its co-founder at the Vatican is significant. The company has been at the center of a dispute with the Trump administration over the use of its models in military and surveillance contexts.
Also Read: Vatican Sets Up AI Commission Approved by Pope Leo XIV
