Pope Leo called for artificial intelligence to be disarmed and his first papal encyclical,

calling for major regulation to protect against potential risks, including war and economic dislocation.

Artificial intelligence needs to be disarmed.

The word is strong, I know, but deliberately chosen because this moment needs words capable of attracting attention, awakening consciences, and indicating paths forward for humanity.

Leo signed the text on May 15th, 135 years after his namesake, Pope Leo the 13th,

signed his own transformational document on workers' rights during the Industrial Revolution.

For nearly 400 years, popes have used encyclicals to impart Catholic teachings.

In his more than 42,000- word text, Leo wrote, quote,

It's not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract. Robust legal frameworks, independent oversight,

informed users, and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required.

A more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by a few.

I'm joined now by Christopher Hale, who writes letters from Leo on Substack.

Welcome. Thanks for being here.

Thank you for having me.

So you wrote that that line, Leo's line calling for AI to be disarmed, is the line to remember from his papacy.

Why?

You know, when he first got elected on May 8,

2025, he said that he wanted a peace that was unarmed and disarming. So this phrase is something

he uses again and again and again. I think it's noteworthy that he used that phrase to describe

peace because the biggest part of this encyclical was not theology, it was not even economics. It was war.

He's very concerned about the use of AI in war in particular. So I think it's a very good

description of what he's hoping for. Who do you think he was talking to and delivering that message?

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