Pope Unveils First Encyclical on Human Dignity in the Age of AI

Pope Leo XIV will unveil his first encyclical, titled 'Magnifica Humanitas' (Magnificent Humanity), on the 25th, aimed at protecting human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). The document broadly addresses issues of labor, justice, and peace that will be reshaped by AI technological advancements, as well as wars involving sophisticated technology. As the Pope's highest-authority pastoral letter to Catholic faithful and bishops worldwide, this encyclical carries the strongest binding force among papal documents. The Pope signed the encyclical on the 15th.

The announcement is scheduled to take place in the Synod Hall of the Vatican, an unusual move for an AI-related declaration. Christopher Olah, co-founder of AI technology firm Anthropic, will attend the event. Olah leads research in AI 'interpretability' and will share insights on the direction for safe AI control.

Anthropic has faced conflict with the Donald Trump administration over its policies preventing AI technology from being used for surveillance or weapons development. The U.S. Department of Defense designated Anthropic as a 'supply chain risk to national security' company, prompting Anthropic to file a lawsuit in response. Since his accession last year, the Pope has consistently warned of the potential misuse of AI technology in warfare and weapons development.