MANILA – United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk on Wednesday welcomed Pope Leo XIV’s warning on artificial intelligence (AI), calling it a “timely appeal for dignity and justice in the age of AI” and urging the world to remain grounded in “shared humanity.”

The Pope’s encyclical titled “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), released on Monday, outlined concerns over the rapid development of AI and its potential impact on societies.

He warned against what he described as “a race for ever more powerful algorithms and larger datasets, driven by the desire to secure geopolitical or commercial dominance.”

Türk praised the message in a post on X, saying, “Our compass must remain our shared humanity.”

The United Nations has previously estimated that AI could generate up to $4.8 trillion in value by 2033, a projected 25-fold increase over a decade, though with profits potentially concentrated among a small number of actors.

In his encyclical, Pope Leo also raised concerns about AI-driven weapons systems, saying it was “not permissible to entrust lethal” decisions to technology.

He called for what he described as “disarming AI,” clarifying that it “means freeing it from the mentality of ‘armed’ competition.”

“To disarm does not mean rejecting technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity,” the Pope wrote.

Türk echoed the sentiment, saying, “Technology should serve people – not replace or control them.” — AFP