Pope Leo XIV Urges UN to Ban Lethal Autonomous Weapons and Calls for AI Disarmament

In a Friday address to the United Nations, Pope Leo XIV urged member states to take concrete steps toward banning lethal autonomous weapons at their upcoming meeting in Geneva. He warned that AI systems should remain tools, not persons, and that decisions affecting human life, freedom, and the use of force must stay under effective human oversight. The Pope called for shared standards, independent oversight, and clear accountability mechanisms to safeguard the common good from AI‑related risks. His remarks echo Pope Francis’s 2024 call for a ban on autonomous weapons and reflect the Vatican’s broader concern over granting AI legal personhood.