[Anglican Communion News Service] Pope Leo XIV’s first papal encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence,” invites reflection on the ethical implications of AI on war, relationships and the battle between good and evil. The pope signed the encyclical last month.
“At key moments in history, the church is called to decipher the new things in the light of the Gospel and the dignity of the human being,” Leo said during an event marking the encyclical’s release. “Artificial intelligence already touches many areas of our lives and affects decisions that shape human coexistence. It is also dramatically changing how war is waged.”
Some Anglican leaders, including Archbishop of Canterbury Sarah Mullally and Texas Bishop C. Andrew Doyle, have responded to “Magnifica Humanitas” and their perspectives on AI’s expanding role in society.
“The pope is correct that there is a danger here. It is concerning that a few companies, individuals no less, hold a lion’s share of the world’s data and power. Such powers and institutions, easily taking on a life of their own and using the very people they promise to serve, are not new,” Doyle, who chairs The Episcopal Church’s Task Force on Artificial Intelligence and Intellectual Property, told Anglican Communion News Service. “The encyclical is a gift, and as global Anglicans, we receive it with gratitude and learn from its clarity. Yet we must offer our own word on AI rather than echoing the pope.”
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