Artificial intelligence is no longer just a Silicon Valley conversation. It is now reaching the Vatican too. Nathan Schneider, associate professor at the University of Colorado Boulder, recently spoke about Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas and why the Catholic Church appears increasingly focused on AI, technology and human dignity. Schneider, who studies technology, democracy and religion, says the signals from the Vatican have been impossible to miss ever since Pope Leo XIV first appeared publicly after becoming pope.
What Is An Encyclical?
Schneider explains that encyclicals are among the most important documents issued by a pope.
“Encyclicals are important statements from, from the Pope,” Schneider says. “They don’t necessarily make up new things for the Catholics to believe, but they do interpret Catholic teaching and Catholic tradition for the world and for the moment.”
He adds that these writings often respond directly to real-world political, economic and social changes instead of remaining purely theological reflections.
Why Did Pope Leo XIV Choose The Name Leo?
According to Schneider, the pope’s name choice itself carries a major message.
“In choosing that name, Leo, he, points back to Leo XIII,” Schneider explains, referring to the 19th-century pope behind Rerum Novarum, the famous Catholic document addressing workers’ rights during the Industrial Revolution.
Schneider believes Pope Leo XIV sees a similar global shift happening now, this time driven by artificial intelligence.
“So for Pope Leo XIV, to take on that name is, in a sense, a signal that he believes that we are undergoing a similar transformation as that of the Industrial Revolution,” he says.
Is AI Becoming The Church’s New Concern?
Schneider says AI appears central to the pope’s thinking already.
Very soon after taking office, Pope Leo XIV indicated that AI was one of the defining issues of this era. Schneider suggests the Vatican may be preparing to challenge some of the dominant narratives currently coming from major AI companies.
“We live in a world now where these companies are telling us about AGI,” Schneider says. “They’re often warning about cataclysmic dangers. They’re insisting that we have no choice but to, build these massive data centers all over the world.”
That, according to Schneider, raises a much larger question: will the Church accept those arguments or push back against them?
A Different Vision Of The AI Future?
Schneider believes Pope Leo XIV may ultimately argue that human dignity should remain at the centre of technological development.
“The insistence that human dignity as, as people are made in the image of God requires a different orientation,” he says.
