Pope Leo sets Catholics on collision course with AI

Pope Leo XIV is expected to sign his first encyclical as soon as Friday, positioning artificial intelligence as the defining moral and labor challenge of a new industrial revolution. Why it matters: The document, reportedly titled "Magnifica Humanitas" ("magnificent humanity"), would become the Catholic Church's clearest attempt yet to place human dignity, labor rights and ethics at the center of the AI race. Catholic and European outlets are reporting that Leo is poised to sign the AI encyclical on the anniversary of "Rerum Novarum" (1891), Pope Leo XIII's foundational industrial-era labor encyclical. The encyclical will focus specifically on AI's impact on "people and working conditions," framing it as Leo XIV's effort to modernize Catholic social teaching for the AI era, per the French newspaper Le Monde . Other reports suggest "Magnifica Humanitas" will argue technology must remain subordinate to the human person — not the reverse — and that AI systems should protect workers, creat