Pope Leo XIV Rejects AI Personhood and Demands Human Oversight Over Artificial Intelligence

Pope Leo Takes Stand Against AI Personhood

Pope Leo XIV has issued a decisive statement against granting artificial intelligence systems legal personhood or rights, declaring that "machines are tools, not persons."1

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Speaking at the Vatican during a dialogue with leading international AI experts, the 71-year-old Pontiff emphasized that responsibility for AI actions must remain firmly with their human creators.3

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The Pope's address builds on themes from his first major papal document released in May, which focused on safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence.1

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Rejecting Legal Rights for AI Systems

In a lengthy thread on X-formerly-Twitter, Pope Leo delivered a scathing rebuke of proposals to grant AI systems legal personhood.2

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"Today, some propose granting these systems rights, or even legal personhood. Such an approach risks obscuring human responsibility and leaving those who suffer harm to confront a faceless entity," he stated.2

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The Pontiff argued that AI agents lack fundamental human experiences: "So-called artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through relationships and do not know from within what love, work, friendship or responsibility mean."3

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Call for Ban on Lethal Autonomous Weapons

Pope Leo urged United Nations member states to "take concrete steps toward banning lethal autonomous weapons" during their upcoming meeting in Geneva next month.1

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The Pope emphasized that "decisions affecting human life, freedom, and the use of force must always remain subject to effective, informed, and responsible human oversight."1

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This stance echoes his predecessor Pope Francis, who in 2024 similarly called for a ban on autonomous weapons, stating, "No machine should ever choose to take the life of a human being."1

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Human Responsibility and Ethical AI Use

The Pope stressed that humans "have the responsibility to guide, change and, when necessary, reject its applications" of artificial intelligence.1

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"The future of Artificial Intelligence is not pre-determined," Pope Leo stated. "As a technology developed by human beings, its future depends on the choices we make."2

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He added that "a reliable system that serves the human person is of greater value than one that is exceptionally powerful but whose consequences cannot be adequately foreseen or controlled."2

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Industry Pushback and AI Sentience Claims

Pope Leo's stance directly contradicts efforts by some AI companies to promote the idea of machine consciousness. As the New York Times reported last month, officials from Claude maker Anthropic held talks with religious leaders this summer, encouraging clergy to consider that AI models may be conscious.2

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However, these discussions appear to have done little to sway the Pontiff, who has repeatedly expressed deep concern over the advancement of artificial intelligence without guardrails.2

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Demand for International Oversight and Accountability Mechanisms

Pope Leo called for establishing robust international institutions to safeguard the common good. "What we currently need are effective international institutions that can safeguard the global common good," he stated.2

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The Pope emphasized the urgent need for "shared standards, independent oversight and clear mechanisms of accountability so that decisions concerning the development and use of AI can be examined, challenged when necessary, and accompanied by appropriate remedies for any harm caused."1

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He insisted that intelligent technologies must be directed toward the common good and "must never become ends in themselves or serve merely the interests of a privileged few."2

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