Pope Leo XIV has issued one of the strongest warnings yet against the artificial intelligence industry, accusing parts of the global AI supply chain of enabling exploitation, child labor, digital colonialism, and new forms of slavery.
The remarks appeared in the pope’s first major encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, a sweeping 2026 manifesto focused on the ethical risks surrounding artificial intelligence and digital power. In the document, Pope Leo warned that the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure is increasingly dependent on hidden labor systems that exploit vulnerable workers across the world.
The pope specifically highlighted workers involved in data labeling, content moderation, and AI model training, describing them as largely invisible laborers operating under harsh conditions for minimal pay. He also pointed to the mining industry supporting AI hardware production, warning that children and adolescents in some regions are forced to extract rare earth materials used in microprocessors and electronic devices.
According to the Vatican document, AI systems often appear seamless and automated while hiding massive physical and human infrastructure behind the scenes. Pope Leo argued that digital technologies are not “immaterial or magical,” but instead rely on global supply chains built around energy consumption, resource extraction, and low-paid labor.
The encyclical also condemned the concentration of AI power within a small number of technology corporations. Pope Leo warned that dominant private companies increasingly shape information flows, economic systems, and political influence through algorithmic control and data collection.
Beyond labor concerns, the pope raised alarms about AI’s role in warfare and autonomous weapons development. He called for the “disarming” of artificial intelligence and criticized military systems capable of making decisions with limited human oversight. The document also argued that modern conflict is being reshaped by digital technologies, misinformation systems, and algorithm-driven influence campaigns.
Pope Leo additionally apologized for the Catholic Church’s historical role in tolerating and legitimizing slavery, describing it as “a wound in Christian memory.” The apology was tied directly to warnings about what he called emerging forms of digital-age exploitation and technological colonialism.
The Vatican also criticized what it described as a new form of colonialism centered around data extraction. The encyclical warned that populations in economically weaker regions risk becoming sources of exploitable health, demographic, and behavioral data controlled by powerful governments and corporations.
AI researchers and technology executives attended the Vatican presentation alongside church officials, including Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah. During the event, Olah acknowledged that AI companies often operate under commercial incentives that can conflict with ethical decision-making.
The manifesto marks the Vatican’s most extensive intervention so far in the global debate surrounding artificial intelligence. Pope Leo called for stronger regulation, independent oversight, transparent supply chains, and legal protections designed to prevent AI systems from undermining human dignity and labor rights.
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