Pope Leo XIV calls on UN to ban AI-powered autonomous weapons
Pope Leo XIV called on the UN to take concrete steps at the meeting in Geneva to ban lethal autonomous weapons, emphasizing the need for human oversight over AI decisions.
Pope Leo XIV, in his Friday address, called for the "disarmament" of AI systems and urged UN member states to take concrete steps to ban lethal autonomous weapons at their meeting in Geneva (next month). He emphasized that decisions affecting human life, freedom and the use of force must always remain under effective, informed and responsible human oversight.
The address builds on ideas from Pope Leo XIV's first major papal document from May, which focused on protecting the human person in the age of artificial intelligence. In line with this document, the Pope stated that "machines are tools, not persons," and warned against the risks of granting rights or legal personhood to AI systems.
The Pope recalled that a similar call to ban autonomous weapons was made back in 2024 by Pope Francis as well, according to whom "no machine should ever decide to kill a human being." Leo XIV concluded his address with a call on international institutions to protect the common good through shared standards, independent oversight and clear accountability mechanisms that would make it possible to examine, challenge and remedy decisions about the development and use of AI and any resulting harm.
Why it matters
This is a moral and political appeal, not a specific regulation or decision with an immediate impact on companies or individuals. Its significance lies in adding weight to the international discussion that UN member states will hold in Geneva in November regarding a ban on lethal autonomous weapons.
Check the original
Event sources
only one source so far · 1 publisher, 1 independent. We count feeds from the same owner only once.