GoKawiilPope Leo XIV urges UN to ban autonomous weapons, says 'machines are tools'
In a papal address, Pope Leo XIV called for AI systems to be 'disarmed' and urged UN member states to pursue a ban on lethal autonomous weapons ahead of talks in Geneva next month. He said machines are tools rather than persons and warned against granting AI legal rights, insisting human oversight must remain over decisions involving life, freedom and force.
GoKawiil's interpretation of the reporting above, not reported fact.
The statement extends a position Pope Francis took in 2024 against autonomous weapons, suggesting the Vatican sees AI governance as a sustained institutional priority rather than a one-off remark. Pope Leo's comments could add moral weight to diplomatic pushes for binding international rules on military AI, though any actual ban would depend on UN member states' willingness to act.
- Pope Leo XIU called for AI systems to be 'disarmed' and for humans to retain oversight of their use.
- He urged UN members to pursue a ban on lethal autonomous weapons at Geneva talks next month.
- The address builds on his May encyclical and echoes Pope Francis's 2024 call against autonomous weapons.
Source: theverge.com — Emma Roth, 2026-10-30
Published there as: “Pope Leo calls for the disarmament of AI: ‘Machines are tools, not persons’”
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