Pope Leo urges UN states to ban lethal autonomous weapons
Original title: Pope Leo calls for the disarmament of AI: ‘Machines are tools, not persons’
He said machines are tools, not persons, and that decisions on force must stay under human oversight.
In a Friday papal address, Pope Leo XIV said AI systems should be disarmed and that humans must guide, change, or reject their applications. He asked United Nations member states to take concrete steps toward banning lethal autonomous weapons at a Geneva meeting next month. He warned against giving AI rights or legal personhood and called for shared standards, independent oversight, and accountability. Pope Francis made a similar appeal on autonomous weapons in 2024.
- The speech follows themes from his May encyclical on AI and the human person.
- He tied his papal name to confronting technological change.
- He asked international bodies for remedies when AI causes harm.
From the original article
1 min read at theverge.com
Pope Leo XIV says AI systems should be "disarmed," adding that humans "have the responsibility to guide, change and, when necessary, reject its applications." In Friday's Papal Address, Pope Leo encourages United Nations member states to "take concrete steps toward banning lethal autonomous weapons" during their meeting in Geneva next month.
By Emma Roth · theverge.com
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