Pope Leo XIV Warns AI Fueling 'Spiral of Annihilation'
The pope urged tighter AI oversight and peace efforts as he said military spending and new weapons are draining education and health care.
- On Thursday, May 14, 2026, Pope Leo XIV visited Sapienza University in Rome, denouncing rising European military spending and AI-driven weaponry as a "spiral of annihilation" that betrays diplomacy.
- European military spending surged 14 percent in 2025 to $864 billion, fueled by the Russia-Ukraine war and pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who urged NATO members to target 5 percent of GDP for defense.
- Investments in AI weaponry create an "inhumane evolution" of conflict, the Pope warned, arguing such spending diverts funds from education and health while enriching elites who "care nothing for the common good."
- During the visit, the Holy Father met young Palestinians who arrived in Italy via a humanitarian corridor from Gaza, highlighting the human cost of global conflicts he described as "maimed by wars."
- These themes are expected to feature in the Pope's upcoming encyclical, which aims to place the church at the forefront of moral debates regarding AI, human dignity, and the "implosion of a possessive and consumerist paradigm.
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124 Articles
The Pope today signed this magisterial letter that will update the Social Doctrine, and that could see the light the last week of May
Pope Leo XIV again attacks Donald Trump head-on: the first American on the chair of Peter criticizes militarization and nationalism.
Pope Leo XIV set to release first encyclical focused on artificial intelligence and the church
Pope Leo XIV is expected to sign his first encyclical as he begins his second year as leader of the Catholic faith. Indications from the Vatican suggest the letter will focus on the role of artificial intelligence in the church and the lives of the faithful.An encyclical is a letter outlining the church's position on doctrine, morality, or social issues. While it does not carry the weight of infallible dogma a truth obtained through divine inter…
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