Pope Leo XIV calls for disarming AI: Machines are tools, not people

Pope Leo XIV called for the 'disarming' of AI systems in his Friday apostolic address, stating that 'machines are tools, not people,' and warned against the dangers of granting AI rights or legal personhood. He urged UN member states to take concrete steps to ban lethal autonomous weapons during the Geneva meeting next month, insisting that decisions involving human life and the use of force must always remain under effective human supervision. He also called on international bodies to establish common standards, independent oversight, and accountability mechanisms.