US vice president praises Pope Leo’s AI warnings

US Vice President JD Vance praised Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday for issuing a theological warning about the risks of unchecked advancements in artificial intelligence (AI).

In a phone interview with NBC News, Vance said he had not yet read the pope’s full encyclical but had reviewed summaries and excerpts from the document, which urges caution and ethical responsibility in the development of AI technologies.

“What I read of it sounds very profound, and the sort of thing that you would expect and hope from a leader of the church,” he told NBC News.

The pope’s encyclical — his first since taking office last year — warned against unrestrained technological advancement and emphasized the “exercise of responsible care for the human family.” The document argues that innovation should continue but within moral and ethical boundaries designed to protect human dignity and social stability.

Vance, who is both a Catholic and a vocal supporter of AI innovation, said the church has historically adapted its moral teachings to address new realities brought about by technological and societal change.

“The thing about morality is that the principles never change, but the way you apply those principles does, because the world changes,” Vance said. “You have new technologies and warfare, so you have to update ‘Just War’ doctrine.”

“New ways of human beings interacting with one another, so you have to kind of rethink the entire Catholic social teaching in light of the new world that we live in,” he continued. “And I think that’s exactly what the pope is trying to do. So I’m glad that he did it.”