Pope LEO cautions against use of AI in military operations

Friday, December 19, 2025 - Pope Leo XIV has warned against the growing use of artificial intelligence in military operations, saying the delegation of life and death decisions to machines represents a destructive betrayal of the principles that sustain civilisation.

The pontiff made the remarks in his first message for World Peace Day, published on Thursday, December 18, where he expressed concern over the expanding role of artificial intelligence in modern warfare.

“Further technological advances and the military implementation of artificial intelligence have worsened the tragedy of armed conflict,” he said.

“There is even a growing tendency among political and military leaders to shirk responsibility, as decisions about life and death are increasingly ‘delegated’ to machines.

“This marks an unprecedented and destructive betrayal of the legal and philosophical principles of humanism that underlie and safeguard every civilisation,” he said.

Leo, the Catholic Church’s first pope from the United States, was elected in May and has since repeatedly called for the ethical use of artificial intelligence.

His comments come as several countries increasingly deploy AI driven technologies for military purposes, including automated surveillance systems, cyber defence tools and weapons such as autonomous drones and missile defence systems that rely on predictive algorithms. These developments have sparked growing ethical and legal concerns worldwide.

In the same message, released ahead of World Peace Day which the Catholic Church marks on January 1, the pope also criticised the use of religion for political purposes.

“Unfortunately, it has become increasingly common to drag the language of faith into political battles, to bless nationalism, and to justify violence and armed struggle in the name of religion,” he said.

The 70-year-old pontiff further criticised the concept of military power, particularly nuclear deterrence, describing it as irrational and rooted in fear rather than justice.

He said such approaches to international relations are built “not on law, justice and trust but on fear and domination by force”.