Vatican Warns of "Social Control" and "Manipulation" Risks from AI

Vatican Warns of "Social Control" and "Manipulation" Risks from AI

The Vatican on March 5, 2026, issued a warning about the dangers of artificial intelligence (AI) leading to "social control" and "manipulation," calling for a greater focus on human relationships to counteract the dehumanizing effects of digital technology. It also reiterated its strong call for a ban on lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS).

The warning came in a wide-ranging document titled "Quo Vadis, Humanitas?" (Whither Humanity?), released by the Vatican's International Theological Commission. The document states that humanity is facing "never before imagined risks" from technology. "Today we are witnessing a loss of the sense of history and a reduction of experience to the fleeting moment," the document says, cautioning that "digital culture tends to... transform the living culture of memory and hope into a postmodern culture of a present closed in on itself."

According to the document, AI is creating a "hyper-connected" world with "an increasing acceleration of economic, political, social, and military dynamics that risk becoming uncontrollable and therefore ungovernable." It warns, "In such a world, human action itself becomes material to be analysed and shaped according to power or market goals that are not always transparent. Social control increases, as does the risk of manipulation."

Furthermore, it emphasizes that human relationships, particularly within families, are "a barrier against the spread of a homogenising globalisation, which does not always help to shape authentic bonds."

The document was approved by Pope Leo XIV, who has repeatedly warned about the risks of generative AI. In a message for the World Day of Social Communications in January, the Pope said that AI systems reflect the worldview of their creators and can reproduce biases. He has also condemned the use of AI in the military, warning against delegating life-and-death decisions to machines.

The Vatican's latest warning comes amidst the rapid advancement of generative AI technologies, which have demonstrated a remarkable ability to replicate, alter, and create images, music, and text at a level often indistinguishable from human-made works. This document raises universal questions about the balance between technological progress and the preservation of humanity, and it is likely to be a significant contribution to the ongoing international debate on AI development and regulation.