Notes on Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical on AI

Simon Willison· May 26, 2026 · 4:45 AM UTC ·8 min read · 0 reactions · 0 comments · 49 views

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Pope Leo XIV has released an encyclical titled 'Magnifica Humanitas' addressing the ethical implications of artificial intelligence. The document emphasizes the importance of safeguarding human dignity in the face of rapid technological advancements. It draws parallels to Pope Leo XIII's historical encyclical on social justice during the first industrial revolution.

Key facts

▪The encyclical discusses the challenges posed by artificial intelligence to human dignity, justice, and labor.
▪Pope Leo XIV chose his name in honor of Pope Leo XIII, who addressed social issues during the industrial revolution.
▪The writing style of the encyclical is approachable, making it accessible to a wider audience beyond Catholics.

How this story was covered

4 outlets in our directory ran this story, first to last over 26 hours. All of the coverage we found sits in one bucket: centre. That one-sidedness is itself worth noticing.

Centre · 3

▪ What Pope Leo XIV’s First Encyclical Says About the Power of AI — WIRED
▪ Notes on Pope Leo XIV's encyclical on AI — Simon Willison's Weblog
▪ Pope Leo XIV's AI Encyclical: What Builders Must Know (2026) — DEV.to (Top)

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Canonical URL	https://simonwillison.net/2026/May/25/encyclical-on-ai/
Publication time	Tue, 26 May 2026 04:45:29 +0000
Retrieval time	2026-05-26T04:52:42.979Z
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Notes on Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical on AI 25th May 2026 Dropped this morning by the Vatican: Magnifica Humanitas of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence. This is a very interesting document. It’s some of the clearest writing I’ve seen on the ethics of integrating AI into modern society. Pope Leo XIV chose the name Leo in honor of Pope Leo XIII, who is known for his 1891 Rerum novarum encyclical on “Rights and Duties of Capital and Labor”. This story on Vatican News further clarifies the significance of that decision: Meeting with the College of Cardinals for their first formal encounter after his election, Pope Leo XIV explained part of the reason for the choice of his papal name.

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