Building a ‘New Tower of Babel’: Inside Pope Leo’s historic encyclical on Artificial Intelligence

Pope Leo XIV has entered the global debate on artificial intelligence with a historic warning in his first major encyclical, *Magnifica Humanitas*, formally titled *On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence*. The document frames AI as a pivotal threat, comparing its unchecked rise to the biblical Tower of Babel, where humanity risks building a future dominated by machines rather than shared values with God. The encyclical positions the Vatican as a central voice in the AI debate, arguing that technology is never neutral and instead reflects the values of those who develop, regulate, and use it. Pope Leo criticizes an economic culture driven by 'the idolatry of profit,' warning that AI systems prioritizing commercial dominance or political power could deepen inequality and erode human freedom. The document arrives amid rapid AI expansion, with governments, tech giants, and militaries investing heavily in the technology, reshaping industries and warfare. The Vatican’s intervention underscores growing global unease over AI’s unregulated advancement and the lack of international consensus on its control. Pope Leo’s strongest argument challenges the tech industry’s assumption that innovation is morally neutral, asserting that AI will inevitably embody the biases and priorities of its creators. The encyclical frames AI as a defining moral and civilizational issue, comparing its impact to past disruptions like industrialization and war. The Vatican’s authority lends weight to the warning, as encyclicals are reserved for major social or moral questions. By addressing AI in his first major teaching document, Pope Leo signals its critical importance to modern society, urging a reevaluation of how technology aligns with human dignity and ethical governance.