Pope to release AI ethics manifesto Monday amid global tech concerns

Pope Leo XIV will release his first encyclical "Magnifica Humanitas" on Monday (May 25, 2026), addressing AI's ethical and social challenges as the technology rapidly develops worldwide. As the Church's first US pope, he'll personally attend the Vatican presentation alongside experts including Anthropic co-founder, whose company is in legal battle with US military over AI use.

The document warns AI could be worth $4.8 trillion by 2033 while concentrating profits in few hands. Leo has previously condemned military AI development as "delegating decisions concerning life and death to machines," and warned about AI replacing reality with simulation and environmental devastation from rare earth mining.

The Vatican sees this as extending social teachings for the AI era, signed on the anniversary of a 1891 encyclical during the Industrial Revolution. Experts expect similar global impact to Pope Francis's "Laudato Si" climate manifesto. The pope emphasizes digital literacy to understand how algorithms shape perception and warns AI fuels polarization, conflict, and violence. With UN warning "the window is closing to shape AI," how should Nigerian tech companies and regulators balance innovation with ethical frameworks?

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/05/25/pope-to-release-major-artificial-intelligence-manifesto/