In 1487, the Pope warned about the terrible risks of the printing press. In 2026, he is doing the same with AI

The article compares the Vatican’s past warnings about the printing press, film, radio and television with Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical on AI.

In Magnifica Humanitas, Leo XIV argues that artificial intelligence must remain subordinate to human dignity and human judgment.

The piece frames this as a renewed Church intervention in a transformative technology, echoing earlier papal cautions about disruptive media.

It also highlights concerns about the cultural, moral and economic power of major AI firms such as OpenAI, Anthropic, Amazon, Microsoft and Google.