Pope Leo XIV visited Rome's La Sapienza University on 14 May 2026 — the first papal visit since 2008 — and condemned AI-directed warfare as a 'spiral of annihilation.' He criticised European governments for boosting defence budgets at the expense of education and healthcare, and called for stronger oversight of AI in both military and civilian contexts. The Vatican simultaneously announced an Interdicasterial Commission on Artificial Intelligence, and Leo's first encyclical, reportedly titled Magnifica Humanitas, is expected within weeks, placing AI governance at the centre of Catholic social teaching. The pope drew a parallel between today's AI revolution and the industrial upheaval that prompted Leo XIII's 1891 Rerum Novarum. While papal statements lack regulatory force, the Vatican's 2020 Rome Call for AI Ethics influenced the EU AI Act and was signed by Microsoft, IBM, and Cisco, giving the institution meaningful convening power on AI governance debates.
