# Pope Leo calls for the disarmament of AI: ‘Machines are tools, not persons’

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/pope-leo-calls-for-the-disarmament-of-ai-machines-are-tools-not-persons/
- Published: 2026-10-30T14:58:06+00:00
- Updated: 2026-10-30T15:03:14+00:00
- Original publisher: The Verge
- Original article: https://www.theverge.com/ai-artificial-intelligence/1023188/pope-leo-disarm-ai
- Topics: AI, Americas, Technology, World

## Key points

- Pope Leo urges action to ban lethal autonomous weapons.
- He says consequential decisions must remain under human oversight.
- He calls for international AI standards and accountability.

## Summary

Pope Leo XIV has called for artificial intelligence systems to be “disarmed” and urged people to guide or reject their uses. He wants United Nations member states to take concrete steps towards banning lethal autonomous weapons, arguing that decisions affecting human life and the use of force must remain under responsible human oversight.

In an address ahead of a meeting in Geneva next month, Leo said machines are tools, not persons, and warned against giving AI rights or legal personhood. His position echoes ideas in a papal document issued in May and a 2024 call by Pope Francis to ban autonomous weapons. Leo also called for shared international standards, independent oversight and clear accountability for harm caused by AI.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.