In his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity), Pope Leo XIV presents a groundbreaking framework on the protection of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence (AI). Warning against a rising “throw-away culture” of digital exclusion, the Holy Father cautions that the breakneck pace of AI advancement is outpacing ethical safeguards, leaving the world vulnerable to technical domination.
Responding to this urgent global teaching, the four branches of the Maryknoll family, which includes the Maryknoll Sisters, Fathers and Brothers, Lay Missioners and Affiliates, released a joint leadership statement echoing the Holy Father’s prophetic message. Drawing from decades of lived experience crossing borders, Maryknoll missioners witness firsthand how profit-driven digital tech exploits marginalized communities, giving rise to what they term a new era of “digital colonialism.”
A primary focal point of the encyclical, amplified heavily by Maryknoll leadership, is the plight of the invisible global workforce that fuels the AI industry. Maryknoll points to two specific nations where their missioners serve and where outsourcing dominates digital labor: Kenya and the Philippines.
In Kenya, scores of highly qualified, university-educated young people are now being absorbed into precarious, hyper-exploitative “grunt work.” These workers often earn as little as 89 cents an hour to manually label images, train complex algorithms, and sift through traumatic content to build AI companies’ safety filters.
On the other hand, in the Philippines, four to five million people employed in digital call centers and business process outsourcing face looming job displacement as generative AI automates customer service roles, threatening to push families back into poverty. In both cases the extraction of cheap human labor reinforces an unjust world order where the Global North reaps massive profits while the Global South bears the burdens.
Beyond labor exploitation, Magnifica Humanitas spotlights the danger of algorithmic bias. When transnational corporations use automated systems to evaluate individuals, those who do not fit rigid data profiles risk being denied access to vital public services, credit, healthcare and education. Furthermore, Maryknoll expresses deep grief over the severe environmental toll of the AI industry, pointing to the land, energy and water exhausted by massive data centers.
Ultimately, Pope Leo XIV does not demonize technology itself but calls for its urgent disarmament. He rejects the idea that algorithms are morally neutral, insisting that society must evaluate how these systems are built and whose interests they serve.
In unison with the Holy Father, the Maryknoll family is calling on political, labor, scientific and business leaders to collaborate on robust international regulations that center on the common good, reduce environmental degradation and protect basic labor rights. As the encyclical states, “Humanity — in all its grandeur and woundedness — must never be replaced or surpassed.” True progress alleviates suffering and unlocks new possibilities, while also preserving the human heart’s capacity for genuine relationship and love.
Susan Gunn is the director of the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns.
Feature image: Joy Buolamwini, a computer scientist, presents a copy of her book to the pope at a Vatican conference on artificial intelligence Nov. 13, 2025. (CNS/Vatican Media/Vatican City)
FAITH IN ACTION:
• Read the Full Text of Magnifica Humanitas – Explore the complete introduction, five chapters and conclusion. https://maryknoll.link/4p4
• Read & Share the Maryknoll Joint Leadership Statement to learn our response to the encyclical. https://maryknoll.link/r4v
• Watch & Share the official Holy See resources, including a 4-minute video, one-page overview and extended summary. https://maryknoll.link/axk
The Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, based in Washington, D.C., is a resource for Maryknoll on matters of peace, social justice and integrity of creation, and brings Maryknoll’s mission experience into U.S. policy discussions. Phone (202) 832-1780, visit www.maryknollogc.org or email ogc@maryknollogc.org.
