Pope Leo XIV published a 42,300-word encyclical titled “Magnifica humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence,” signed May 15 and released May 25, 2026, according to the Holy See and Vatican News. The document calls for stronger government regulation of A.I., protections and retraining for workers, education to improve critical thinking, safeguards to protect children online, and human responsibility for weapons decisions, reporting by The New York Times and the Associated Press states. The encyclical was presented at the Vatican alongside Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah, a detail reported by The New York Times and AP. Coverage ranges from detailed summaries in Vatican News to critical takes in The Guardian and Fortune questioning whether the document addresses AI’s most urgent technical and governance challenges.
