...Is AI a threat to humanity?

I thought I was the only one worried about and unsure of what the tech world is doing with AI. I often think about the competition among tech giants to penetrate all facets of life, especially the defence sector, with AI—comparable to the nuclear arms race between some states between 1945 and 1990.

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Nevertheless, who cares about what I think or what keeps me awake at night? It turns out that the head of the Catholic Church, Pope Leo XIV, is also deeply concerned.

The Pontiff is so concerned that he has issued his very first encyclical specifically addressing the challenge AI poses to humanity. A papal encyclical is a formal pastoral letter written by the Pope, mainly addressed to Catholic leadership but also to the entire Catholic community and humanity in general. Its role is to elaborate Church doctrine, reflect on moral issues, or provide guidance on contemporary challenges.

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The May 2026 encyclical is entitled "Encyclical Letter Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity) of His Holiness Pope Leo XIV on Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence.” It is intended specifically to address the issue of humanity’s relationship with AI and to express concern about how AI may affect human life.

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In the introduction, the Pope states: "Humanity, created by God in all its grandeur, is today facing a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build the city in which God and humanity dwell together.”

He continues: "Each generation inherits the task of shaping its own era, of guiding history to become a place where the dignity of every person is safeguarded, justice is promoted, and fraternity is made possible. Yet every era also runs the risk of creating an inhumane and more unjust world.”

It is this risk of a potentially inhumane world created by AI that I believe the Pontiff wanted to bring to the fore—so that society may debate and remain aware of the looming danger if the technology is not properly regulated.

The Pope further states that technology should not be considered, in itself, a force antagonistic to humanity. On the contrary, it has been part of human history since the beginning as "a profoundly human reality, linked to the autonomy and freedom of man.”

But the question arises: is he worried that AI may change that relationship—becoming antagonistic to humanity and affecting human autonomy and freedom?

Reactions from tech companies to the encyclical have varied, ranging from promises of collaboration and support to outright dismissal and mockery.

The co-founder of AI firm Anthropic, Christopher Olah, was the chief guest at the Vatican during the unveiling of the encyclical and expressed support for the Pope’s call for "moral discernment” and AI regulation.

However, the sharpest criticism came from Silicon Valley investors, who dismissed the Pope’s warnings, arguing that technological revolutions are necessary and inevitably create new jobs to replace old ones.

AI researcher Pedro Domingos of the University of Washington described the encyclical as "premised on ignorant and wrong-headed assumptions.”

Will the tech world actually listen to and address the Pope’s concerns?

Research shows that global military spending is expected to reach $2.7 trillion this year, a 10% year-on-year increase. The AI defence market is projected to grow from $10 billion to about $37 billion by 2034.

It is this vast market that tech giants are eyeing, and I believe the world is only witnessing the beginning of AI acceleration in the defence sector. They have the global defence industry and its stakeholders cheering them on. Many view strict regulatory oversight as a hindrance to innovation.

I do not believe they will readily listen to or address the concerns of a global moral leader by embracing regulations that may affect their business models.

Back to the question: is AI a threat to humanity? The jury is still out. But the Pope’s warning has helped provoke an important debate among theologians, politicians, academics, Big Tech, and society at large.

The writer is a keen observer of global affairs.