‘AI job cuts could trigger a social calamity’: Pope Leo warns against unchecked automation

Pope Leo XIV has issued a stark warning about the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, cautioning that mass job losses caused by automation could become a “social calamity” if governments and corporations fail to act responsibly. In his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (‘Magnificent Humanity’), released on Monday, the pope argued that while AI can help humanity by taking over dangerous and repetitive tasks, it must never be allowed to undermine human dignity or leave millions without meaningful work.