Pope Leo XIV calls to "disarm" AI: "Machines are tools, not persons"

On October 30, 2026, Pope Leo XIV delivered an address in which he stated that artificial intelligence (AI) systems should be "disarmed." According to him, people "bear the responsibility to guide, modify and, where necessary, reject its applications." In the address, he also called on UN member states to "take concrete steps to ban lethal autonomous weapons" at a meeting in Geneva next month.

This address continues the line set in Pope Leo's first major document in May, which raised the issue of "protecting the human person in the time of artificial intelligence." Unlike previous statements, the current address directly links AI ethics to a specific international regulation — a ban on lethal autonomous weapons. Earlier, in 2024, Pope Francis also called for a ban on autonomous weapons, but the current call is addressed to participants in the Geneva meeting and contains clearer wording on the inadmissibility of granting machines rights.

In practice, this means the Vatican supports international efforts to limit military applications of AI. Pope Leo stressed: "Machines are tools, not persons," and warned against granting AI systems rights or legal personhood status. He also stated that "decisions affecting human life, freedom and the use of force must always remain under effective, conscious and responsible human control." Thus, the Vatican's position may strengthen the arguments of supporters of a ban on autonomous weapons in the Geneva negotiations.

It remains unknown how exactly the UN will respond to this call and whether any binding measures will be adopted. The specific timelines and mechanisms for banning lethal autonomous weapons are not specified in the address.