Vice President JD Vance said May 19 that he expects Pope Leo XIV’s forthcoming encyclical on artificial intelligence to be a “very, very important document” — one that will likely influence the world’s approach to the rapidly advancing technology.
Vance made the comments during a White House press briefing when asked about the encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (“Magnificent Humanity”) which is scheduled for release May 25. The document is expected to address human dignity, AI’s impact on work and privacy, and broader ethical questions surrounding technological development.
>> Pope Leo’s first encyclical, set for release May 25, to focus on AI and humanity <<
“I think when the Pope issues an encyclical on artificial intelligence, it’s going to have some influence,” Vance said. “I, of course, don’t know how much influence. I don’t know exactly what it’s going to say, but I think when the leader of the world’s largest Christian denomination speaks on an issue like that, it’s certainly going to have some influence.”
He added, “I’m sure it will contain a lot of insights, some of which I’ll probably agree with, some of which I may not, but I think that it’s going to be a very, very important document.”
Reporter: “In a few days, Pope Leo is going to release his encyclical on artificial intelligence. What influence, if any, do you see the Pope’s guidance on AI having to broader society?”
— CatholicVote (@CatholicVote) May 19, 2026
VP JD Vance: “I think when the Pope issues an encyclical on artificial intelligence, it’s… pic.twitter.com/MnNF1qvXNc
The Vice President compared the anticipated encyclical to Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII’s landmark 1891 encyclical that addressed social conditions during the Industrial Revolution.
Vance said the current Pope Leo chose his papal name as a nod to his 19th-Century predecessor, which may indicate that the Holy Father intends to “apply Christian social teaching in a new era with a new technological innovation, in the same way that the Industrial Revolution was the technological innovation of its time.”
As Zeale News reported, Pope Leo signed the new encyclical May 15, the 135th anniversary of the issuance of Rerum Novarum.
The Vatican has said the Pope will personally present the encyclical in Synod Hall alongside a slate of speakers that will include AI expert Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic.