Pope Leo XIV urges UN states to ban lethal autonomous weapons
In a Friday address, Pope Leo XIV asked UN member states to take concrete steps toward banning lethal autonomous weapons at their Geneva meeting.
By GennnAi··1 min read
He says AI systems should be “disarmed” and that humans must guide, change and, when necessary, reject its applications. “Machines are tools, not persons,” he says, warning against granting AI rights or legal personhood. He calls for shared standards, independent oversight and clear accountability mechanisms. The address echoes his May encyclical, and Pope Francis called for a similar ban on autonomous weapons in 2024.
Source: The Verge, published on October 30, 2026.