Pope Leo XIV Puts Humanity Ahead of Artificial Intelligence

Pope Leo XIV put artificial intelligence at the center. During his four-day visit to France, he warned that humanity could lose itself in a “paradise of machines” and argued that technology must remain at the service of people.

Leo XIV arrived in Paris on September 25, 2026, beginning the first official papal trip to France in 18 years. The visit includes meetings involving Emmanuel Macron, the French government and diplomatic authorities, UNESCO, Notre-Dame cathedral, and the French Catholic hierarchy, with over a million people expected to turn out to see him.

Education Before Automation

The pope said the danger lies not only in what artificial intelligence can do, but in how it may invade and condition daily life. “If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a ‘paradise of machines’ invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for education in ethical discernment,” he said.

He also called for the capacity to acknowledge the moral good, adding that artificial intelligence must remain at the service of people. That message matches the subject of his first encyclical, titled Magnificent Humanity, which he dedicated to artificial intelligence.

Leo XIV appealed to AI developers and political leaders to slow down AI development. He also expressed hope that the dialogue initiated with tech companies involved in AI development would continue — a polite request to the industry, where “move faster” has long passed for a governing philosophy.

The pope’s warning places ethical discernment alongside technical progress rather than treating it as an afterthought. For a global Catholic community of 1.4 billion people, the argument reaches beyond product design and into education, public policy, and the way societies decide which uses of AI serve human beings.

Peace, Rights, and Public Responsibility

Artificial intelligence was not the only subject in Leo XIV’s address. He reaffirmed the Vatican’s opposition to nuclear weapons and called the nuclear deterrence doctrine “mistaken,” rejecting the idea that lasting security can rest on the threat of destruction.

“Peace is not a balance of power; rather, it is built day by day through dialogue and justice,” he said. The statement links peace to sustained political work instead of military calculation, placing dialogue and justice at the center of his appeal in France.

He also called for France to remember that the right to life is the “indispensable foundation of every other human right.” The claim connected his concerns about technology and weapons to a broader view of human dignity, without treating either artificial intelligence or national security as separate from basic rights.

Macron welcomed the pope’s extended visit. “You are here with us for an extended visit, giving us your time, and that is moving,” he said.

Rev. Aristide Ahidote offered a more devotional assessment: “God has given us a pope with vigor and strength.” Leo XIV, for his part, told those gathered, “I am very happy that here, you are all welcome.”

He also welcomed media coverage and affirmed the importance of free press. That detail matters because the pope’s message depends on public argument: AI developers, political leaders, religious institutions, and citizens must be able to debate what technology should do before machines quietly decide the terms.

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