--- title: "Pope Leo Comes Out Swinging Against AI Personhood" description: "Pope Leo XIV said in a social media post that AI systems should not be granted legal personhood, which could limit human accountability." date: "2026-10-30" modified: "2026-10-30" authors: - name: "Maggie Harrison Dupré" job_title: "Senior Staff Writer" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/mharrison.md" url: "https://futurism.com/artificial-intelligence/pope-leo-ai-personhood" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" - "Ethics" tags: - "pope leo" --- # Pope Leo Comes Out Swinging Against AI Personhood ![Pope Leo XIV delivers his blessing to the faithful.]() *Riccardo De Luca - Update / Shutterstock.com* Sorry to anybody who believes AI models deserve rights: the Pontiff is not on your side. In a [lengthy thread]() on X-formerly-Twitter today, Pope Leo XIV issued a scathing rebuke of calls for "AI personhood," or the argument that AI models should be [granted rights]() through a process of legal personhood. This would effectively make AI systems human in the eyes of the law, an approach that the Pope argues could shift accountability for AI-enabled harm or abuse away from the humans who actually build and use AI systems. "The future of Artificial Intelligence is not pre-determined," reads the Pope's decree. "As a technology developed by human beings, its future depends on the choices we make. We therefore have the responsibility to guide, change and, when necessary, reject its applications. A reliable system that serves the human person is of greater value than one that is exceptionally powerful but whose consequences cannot be adequately foreseen or controlled." "Machines are tools, not persons," he added. "Today, some propose granting these systems rights, or even legal personhood. Such an approach risks obscuring human responsibility and leaving those who suffer harm to confront a faceless entity." https://twitter.com/Pontifex/status/2116146977230459383 Leo isn't alone in his [well-documented]() concerns. Lawyers, activists, and [lawmakers]() have taken stands against legal personhood for AI on similar grounds, arguing that giving rights to AI systems, for example [First Amendment rights]() to freedom of speech, could muddy the legal waters around who is responsible when things go wrong. Doing so could even give way to a scenario in which no human is clearly accountable for the consequences of actions taken with or by AI tools. Many actors in and around the AI industry, however, continue to insist that AI systems are or may soon be sentient — and thus, [some argue](), should be imbued with human rights. As [the *New York Times* reported]() last month, officials from Claude maker Anthropic held a series of talks with religious leaders this summer in which the AI representatives encouraged clergy to consider that AI models may indeed [be conscious](). It seems that these talks have done little to sway the Pontiff, who has [repeatedly]() expressed deep concern over the advancement of AI without guardrails. Leo has also placed a heavy focus on the steady rise of autonomous weapons, and in his thread today, [once again]() called for AI to be "disarmed." "Decisions affecting human life, freedom, and the use of force must always remain subject to effective, informed, and responsible human oversight," Leo wrote. In a [following post](), he added that "intelligent technologies must be directed toward the common good" and "must never become ends in themselves or serve merely the interests of a privileged few." "We already know many of the ethical principles that should guide the development of artificial intelligence," Leo continued. "What we currently need are effective international institutions that can safeguard the global common good." "This calls for shared standards, independent oversight, and clear mechanisms of accountability," he concluded, "so that decisions concerning the development and use of AI can be examined, challenged when necessary, and accompanied by appropriate remedies for any harm caused." **More on AI and religion:** *[Cult of Anthropic Insiders Rumored to Be Worshipping Claude as a God]()* ## Author At Futurism, I've reported extensively on the rise of AI as a cultural and business force shaping the media industry, and more broadly how those dynamics are changing how we all consume and share information and relate to one another. I'm also fascinated by public health policy and ethics, the role of emerging tech in politics and governance — and the powerful people and forces at those intersections — climate change, and the environment. My investigation on Sports Illustrated's use of AI-generated authors with fictional biographies won a 2024 Mirror Award for "Best Story on Media Coverage of Artificial Intelligence in Journalism and the Media" from Syracuse University's SI Newhouse School, I contributed to Niemen Lab's 2025 Predictions for Journalism series, and I've discussed my work for Futurism during appearances on NPR, CNN, the BBC, the CBC, and more. I grew up in rural Pennsylvania and attended the University of Massachusetts Amherst, where I played Division I field hockey for the Minutewomen as a midfielder. Since then, I've lived in New Orleans, Louisiana and Manhattan, New York. I spend my free time running, reading, perusing archival fashion, and searching for the world’s best negroni. I also have a debonair tuxedo cat, Westley, who's named after "The Princess Bride." ### Author social links [Bluesky]() ## More - [Pope Horrified by Catholic Plan to Create AI Version of Him for the Masses]() - [The New Pope Is Deeply Skeptical of AI]() - [Pope Slams Elon Musk for Obscene Greed]() - [The Pope Just Low Key Declared Holy War on Artificial Intelligence]() - [The Pope Doubles Down on AI Concerns]() - [Anthropic Cofounder Travels to Vatican, Tells Pope They’re Finding “Unsettling” Things Inside AI Models]() - [The Pope Can’t Be an Organ Donor Because the Catholic Church Has Seized Ownership of His Body]() - [The Pope Is Praying for AI That Serves Humanity]()