'Disarm AI': Pope Leo Calls Out Big Tech's All-Consuming Obsession - CNET

Our gifting experts are obsessively searching for holiday gifts that are unique, thoughtful and suitable for any budget. Our expert, award-winning staff selects the products we cover and rigorously researches and tests our top picks. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Magnifica Humanitas, which translates to "magnificent humanity," is the Vatican's bid to safeguard the future of humanity in the age of AI. Pope Leo released his encyclical on AI on Monday. Since his earliest days in the job, Pope Leo XIV has made talking about AI a priority of his papacy. On Monday, he released his first encyclical under the name Magnifica Humanitas (which translates to magnificent humanity) — a powerful 42,300-word document calling for regulation of the technology and a moral framework that protects humanity for generations to come. The 70-year-old American pope, who is a mathematician by training, was elected to the papacy in May 2025 and has made “the safeguarding of the human person in the time of artificial intelligence,” as the encyclical’s subhead reads, a central tenet of his first year in the role. The document’s publication arrives at a moment when many are already comp