The Holy See presented the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas this Monday, signed by Pope Leo XIV, offering a profound reflection on the dignity of the human person amid the global transformation driven by artificial intelligence (AI) and the digital transition.
The presentation panel brought together theology, advanced technology, and the tradition of Catholic Social Teaching, with the participation of Pope Leo XIV himself and several speakers tasked with offering interpretive perspectives on the document.
Among them were Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith; Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic; Anna Rowlands, professor at Durham University; and Leocadie Lushombo, specialist in Catholic social thought at the Jesuit School of Theology.
During the official presentation, speakers emphasized that the digital transition affects every dimension of human life — from work to culture, from social relationships to politics — requiring a new level of ethical and spiritual discernment.
The Encyclical as a Dialogue With History
A video was also shown placing the document within the history of Catholic Social Teaching and in dialogue with the industrial revolutions of the past. Pope Leo XIV continues the tradition initiated by Pope Leo XIII and the encyclical Rerum Novarum, updating it for the digital age.
“Nothing Human Is Foreign to Us”
Opening the presentation, Cardinal Pietro Parolin highlighted the broad scope of the document and its relationship to contemporary transformations.
“Nothing human is foreign to us.”
According to him, the encyclical emerges in dialogue with the changes brought about by the digital transition and artificial intelligence, requiring ethical discernment and maturity in governance. “There must be maturity in the way we govern this process of transformation.”
Voices From the Vatican and the Scientific Community
Cardinal Michael Czerny stated that artificial intelligence should be understood as a remarkable expression of human ingenuity, but also as an ethical and social challenge. According to him:
“Technology is not neutral: it can contribute to a more just and sustainable society or, on the contrary, increase inequalities and concentrate power, depending on human choices. For this reason, the development of AI requires discernment and responsibility.”
He also stressed that the central issue is not merely technological, but profoundly human, involving consciousness, dignity, and relationships. True consciousness belongs only to the human person, while AI must always remain at the service of the common good.
For this reason, he said, special care must be taken regarding the use of technology — especially in education and the formation of younger generations — so that it does not replace critical thinking or human bonds, but instead helps build a “civilization of love” grounded in responsibility, freedom, and care for creation.
Human Freedom and the Risk of Replacing the Human Person
Professor Anna Rowlands, theological commentator for the encyclical, emphasized that the text cannot be read as neutral, because technology itself carries particular worldviews.
“This letter is not a neutral consideration of this issue, just as today’s technologies are not neutral.”
She emphasized that human freedom is not isolated autonomy, but relationship: “Human freedom is a gift rooted in a personal, embodied, and relational truth.” And she warned: “We will not be saved by artificial intelligence or by transhumanist ideologies.”
AI, Digital Colonialism, and Global Justice
Professor Leocadie Lushombo also drew attention to the social and political dimensions of technology. She warned about new risks of domination: “Even today, colonialism takes on new forms. It no longer dominates only bodies, but also data.” She added:
“Artificial intelligence can easily become a form of colonialism.”
Regarding the impact on human knowledge, she stated: “Knowledge is not the accumulation of data, but the capacity to understand, judge, and decide.”
Christopher Olah: A View From Inside Technology
Researcher Christopher Olah of Anthropic offered a perspective rooted in the development of AI models, highlighting internal tensions within the technology sector.
“Every AI lab operates within incentives and constraints that can conflict with doing what is right.”
He also warned about global inequality in access to the benefits of AI: “How do we ensure that the gains of artificial intelligence are shared globally? We still do not have a mechanism for that.”
Olah further stated that researchers are discovering “mysterious and even unsettling” aspects within AI models. According to him, certain internal structures resemble the human brain, and there are signals that appear to reflect emotions such as joy, fear, sadness, and satisfaction. He made clear that he does not know what this means, but believes it demands ongoing reflection.
Magnifica Humanitas: Human Dignity and the Limits of Technology
Pope Leo XIV insists that humanity cannot be reduced to data, efficiency, or performance. The document affirms that the human person possesses an irreducible dignity, even in a context marked by profound inequalities and renewed forms of exploitation.
It recalls that humanity, despite scientific advances, remains capable of generating structures of exclusion and even new forms of “slavery” in the contemporary world. At the same time, the document reaffirms that: “The Church does not reject technology, but interprets it as a human gift that must be directed toward the common good.”
The Pope does not hesitate to describe humanity as “magnificent,” precisely because of its capacity to love, create, and transcend itself.
Labor, Justice, and the Risk of New Global Inequalities
One of the central themes of the encyclical is the protection of human labor in the face of increasing automation. The text warns of the real possibility of large-scale job displacement caused by artificial intelligence, requiring new forms of social solidarity and global policies aimed at redistributing technological benefits.
It also highlights the concentration of AI development in a small number of countries and corporations, raising concerns about a new global asymmetry. In this sense, the encyclical warns that artificial intelligence could deepen historic inequalities and even take on contemporary forms of digital colonialism, especially affecting countries in the Global South.
The Human Person as a Relational Being
Another central point of the document is the affirmation that the human person is essentially relational. The encyclical insists that freedom cannot be understood as isolated autonomy, but as a gift fulfilled through coexistence and the pursuit of the common good.
It also stresses that human knowledge is not the accumulation of data, but a living process born from trust, education, culture, and human relationships. In this sense, the document critiques the tendency toward an “automation of thought,” which can weaken humanity’s capacity to judge, discern, and seek the truth.
A “Civilization of Love” for the Digital Age
The encyclical concludes by proposing a “civilization of love” as the horizon for the technological age.
According to the text, this path requires overcoming conflicts, strengthening justice, prioritizing victims, fostering dialogue among cultures and institutions, and building a more just and supportive global governance.
The final inspiration is Mary’s Magnificat, presented as the expression of a humanity that recognizes both its limits and its vocation to hope, justice, and communion.
