Pope Leo XIV calls to "disarm" AI and ban lethal autonomous weapons
In a Friday address, Pope Leo XIV urged UN member states to take concrete steps toward banning lethal autonomous weapons at their meeting in Geneva next month. He stressed that machines are tools, not persons, and that decisions over human life must stay under human oversight.
Pope Leo XIV, head of the Roman Catholic Church, said in a Friday address that artificial intelligence systems should be "disarmed." He urged member states of the United Nations to take concrete steps toward banning lethal autonomous weapons, meaning weapons able to operate without human involvement, when they meet in Geneva next month.
According to the pope, humans have a responsibility to guide, change and, when necessary, reject AI applications. He repeated that machines are tools, not persons, and warned of the dangers of granting AI systems rights or legal personhood.
Human control over the use of force
The pope stressed that decisions affecting human life, freedom and the use of force must always remain subject to effective, informed and responsible human oversight. He closed the address by calling on international institutions to safeguard the common good. In his view, this requires shared standards, independent oversight and clear mechanisms of accountability, so that decisions on developing and using AI can be examined, challenged when necessary, and accompanied by appropriate remedies for any harm caused.
Building on earlier statements
The address reflects ideas from Leo XIV's first major papal document, issued in May, which focused on safeguarding the human person in the age of artificial intelligence. His predecessor, Pope Francis, also called for a ban on autonomous weapons in 2024, saying no machine should ever choose to take a human life.
AI has become a frequent subject for Leo XIV. He has suggested he chose his papal name because he must confront advances in the technology, much as Pope Leo XIII led the Church during the Industrial Revolution.
