Market & Regulation
Pope Leo XIV Warns of AI's Ethical Risks
The Verge AIhigh confidence
Why it matters
- →Highlights the need for ethical frameworks in AI development.
- →Emphasizes the importance of human dignity in technological advancements.
- →Signals the Catholic Church's engagement with AI-related societal issues.
Pope Leo XIV has released his first major papal document, Magnifica Humanitas, focusing on the ethical implications of artificial intelligence. The encyclical calls for new legal and ethical frameworks to govern AI, emphasizing the protection of human dignity amidst rapid technological advancements. It addresses concerns such as AI-powered warfare, job displacement, and the need for transparency in algorithmic decisions. The pope urges a cautious approach to AI, advocating for human intelligence to guide its development and use. This document signifies the Catholic Church's active engagement with the challenges posed by AI.
Read originalThe story around this
Earlier coverage that leads up to this article, and what followed. Lines connect each piece to the closest one after it, converging here.
What happened next
- 1Vatican Partners with Anthropic on AI Ethics
WIRED AI · May 26, 2026 · Related
- 2Vatican Engages Anthropic Co-founder on AI Ethics
WIRED AI · May 29, 2026 · Related
- 3Microsoft Publishes Humanist AI Code of Conduct
The Verge AI · September 14, 2026 · Background
- 4Microsoft AI drafts Humanist AI Code of Conduct
AI News · September 14, 2026 · Background
Follow this story
Open the full story →Pope Leo XIV Warns of AI's Ethical Risks
6 developments
- May 25 · The Verge AI
Pope Leo XIV Warns of AI's Ethical Risks (This article) - May 26 · The Rundown AI
Pope Leo XIV Addresses AI in New Encyclical - May 26 · WIRED AI
Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical on AI's Societal Impact - May 27 · The Verge AI
AI Allegedly Used in Pope's Encyclical on AI↳ AI detection tools suggest significant portions of Pope Leo XIV's encyclical may be AI-generated. - May 27 · The AI Daily Brief
Pope Leo XIV's Statement on AI and Human Dignity - May 29 · MIT Technology Review AI
Pope's Encyclical Calls for Ethical AI Governance
More from The Verge AI
© The Verge AICoding Toolscoding
DIY Muse Gadget proves Meta's hardware is just a dev kit
Meta’s Muse Charm isn’t a finished product; it’s an invitation to hack. A non-coder used Claude Code to transform a $50 Waveshare ESP32-S3 dev board into a fully functional AI companion, adding ElevenLabs voice synthesis, custom Tamagotchi-style minigames, and remote camera controls that Meta’s official firmware lacks. This reveals a critical truth: the value of Meta’s new hardware ecosystem lies not in its out-of-the-box utility, but in its open-source API allowing anyone to rewrite the experience. The gap between Meta’s polished demo and the actual user reality is bridged entirely by third-party AI coding tools.
The Verge AI
© The Verge AIModels & Labsother
Apple Intelligence arrives in China via iOS 27.3
Apple is finally unlocking its AI suite for Chinese users with the iOS 27.3 beta, marking a significant regulatory milestone after months of approval delays. The rollout relies on Alibaba’s Qwen model rather than OpenAI, integrating features like notification summaries and visual intelligence directly into the OS. By sidestepping the new Siri in favor of established text and image tools, Apple is prioritizing immediate utility over the full generative experience. This move effectively brings Apple’s AI capabilities to a massive new market, albeit with localized constraints that distinguish it from the global release.
The Verge AI
© The Verge AIMarket & Regulationbusiness
Altman argues cloud RAM over local inference
Sam Altman is pushing back against the local AI trend, arguing that hoarding DRAM in personal devices is a global waste during a severe supply crunch. He points out that consumer hardware sits idle most of the time, whereas cloud data centers achieve the high utilization rates needed to justify the billions invested by players like OpenAI and Stargate. This isn't just an opinion; it's a defense of the centralized infrastructure model against the growing open-source movement. The real-world impact is visible in the locked-up supply from Samsung and SK Hynix, which drives up costs for everyone else.
The Verge AI
More in Market & Regulation
© TechCrunch AIMarket & Regulationother
Judge allows NAACP lawsuit over xAI pollution to proceed
xAI's attempt to dismiss the NAACP's Clean Air Act lawsuit failed after a federal judge ruled that its gas turbines are not exempt mobile sources and that plaintiffs have standing. This legal setback confirms that AI infrastructure operators cannot bypass environmental permitting by classifying heavy industrial equipment as temporary or mobile. The ruling forces xAI to face scrutiny over air quality impacts at its Colossus data center, setting a precedent for how large-scale compute facilities are regulated under existing environmental laws.
TechCrunch AI
© TechCrunch AIInvestment · $20B
Market & Regulationbusiness
OpenAI cuts funding target to $20B amid tepid demand
OpenAI is scaling back its ambitions as investor appetite for massive AI infrastructure bets cools. The company has lowered its fundraising target from $30 billion to $20 billion, with only $11 billion secured so far against a valuation that has dropped from $1.4 trillion. This retreat signals a growing wariness among Wall Street investors regarding the capital intensity of the AI race, forcing even the most dominant players to adjust their financial expectations.
TechCrunch AI
© The AI Daily BriefMarket & Regulationbusiness
Legal AI startup Crosby bids for Weil’s assets
Crosby, a legal AI startup, has placed a bid for the assets of law firm Weil.
The AI Daily Brief