The Pope's encyclical on AI has come under scrutiny due to the possible involvement of artificial intelligence

A debate is unfolding in the Vatican over Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” in which the pontiff warns of the risks of artificial intelligence. The document has already caused a stir due to speculation that it may have been partially written by AI itself.

Analysts who examined the 42,300-word text claim to have identified characteristics typical of neural networks. 

According to their estimates, up to 46% of the text may show signs of machine-generated content, and certain sections—as much as 62%.

For comparison, it is noted that the Pope’s other official speeches have been verified as entirely “human,” and previous encyclicals did not raise similar doubts.

The researchers paid particular attention to the linguistic features of the text. In particular, the excessive use of the word “genuinely” became one of the arguments in favor of the possible involvement of Anthropic’s Claude model, which exhibits similar stylistic patterns. At the same time, according to the analysis, some fragments demonstrate a “zero AI level,” which may indicate hybrid authorship—a combination of human and algorithmic input.

The encyclical itself, signed on May 15, became the Vatican’s first document entirely dedicated to artificial intelligence. In it, the Pope calls for “disarming” technology and subordinating it to the common good, rather than the logic of profit or domination.

The document also calls for stricter regulation of algorithms that influence warfare, labor, and freedom of speech.

The presence of Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olla at the presentation generated additional buzz, fueling discussions about the extent of the tech industry’s involvement in drafting the document.

Earlier, Pope Leo XIV published his first major encyclical dedicated to artificial intelligence. In the document, the pontiff called on governments of various countries to slow down the development of AI and establish strict rules for companies operating in this field.

Pope Leo XIV presented the first encyclical dedicated to artificial intelligence and its impact on humanity at the Vatican, which will address the protection of human dignity in the context of technological change. 

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