What smart people are saying about Pope Leo's letter on AI

Tech and Political Figures Respond to Pope Leo XIV’s Encyclical on Artificial Intelligence

Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical, titled “Magnifica humanitas: on safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence,” on May 25, 2026. The 245-paragraph document addresses topics including AI-related market concentration, effects on employment, and ethical considerations in the development and use of the technology. The Vatican presented the letter at an event attended by diplomatic representatives, including the United States Ambassador to the Holy See.

Several individuals in technology, research, and government posted statements on the social media platform X regarding the encyclical’s content. Their remarks are presented below in the order they appeared in public discussion.

David Sacks, co-founder of Craft Ventures and former White House AI policy coordinator, wrote that the pope correctly identified the need for AI to function as a tool that assists rather than dominates or excludes people. Sacks also raised a separate question about government authority: “If we hand governments sweeping power over AI development in the name of safety, how do we prevent it from being used to censor, surveil, and control citizens — as Orwell foretold in 1984?” He described this issue as “the real alignment problem,” noting that longstanding questions about human nature and authority remain relevant in the context of AI.

Blake Scholl, founder and chief executive of Boom Technology, which is developing a supersonic commercial aircraft, expressed disagreement. In his post, Scholl stated that technological changes have historically displaced some jobs while generating others. He argued that preserving existing roles out of concern for disruption would have prevented earlier shifts, such as the move away from manual agricultural labor.

Yoshua Bengio, professor of computer science at the University of Montreal and an AI researcher, wrote that he shared the encyclical’s general perspective. Bengio added that institutions including the Vatican can contribute to international discussions on AI by increasing public awareness of associated challenges.

Tanishq Mathew Abraham, founder of the medical AI research organization MedARC and a biomedical engineer, noted that the document does not describe AI as inherently negative. Abraham observed that the text nevertheless states technology is never neutral and described the overall treatment as a “nuanced, well-thought-out take on AI from the Catholic Church.”

Senator Chris Murphy, Democrat of Connecticut, stated that the pope’s position against monopoly control of AI by a small number of companies is significant. Murphy further wrote that AI could affect core human activities, including creativity, interpersonal relationships, and analytical reasoning.

Author and investigative reporter Gerald Posner characterized the encyclical as an effort by the Vatican to establish boundaries for AI development and the technology sector. Posner added that, based on his reporting, companies are likely to move faster than the general safety recommendations contained in the document.

Brian Burch, United States Ambassador to the Holy See, attended the Vatican presentation. The embassy’s official account later posted Burch’s remarks, which noted that Vatican institutions participate in broader conversations about AI. Burch stated that the United States and the Holy See both seek to ensure AI serves human interests and supports core values. He described the Trump administration’s policy as favoring innovation through private-sector development, with the goal of producing systems aligned with democratic principles rather than centralized authoritarian direction.

Christopher Hale, publisher, also commented on the encyclical in public posts.

The statements reflect a range of assessments. Some respondents focused on regulatory questions, others on employment effects or institutional roles in technology governance. The encyclical itself does not assign moral status to the technology as a whole and instead examines specific applications and governance structures. No additional official Vatican clarification on the individual responses has been issued as of the date of these posts.