AI could replace human labour on a ‘very large scale’, Anthropic co-founder Christoph Olah warned during a Vatican event hosted by Pope Leo XIV, adding to growing concerns over how rapidly advancing AI systems may reshape employment.
The remarks came on May 25, when Pope Leo XIV presented Magnifica Humanitas, his first major encyclical after being elected, where he outlined the moral and social challenges posed by AI. While the Pope’s document was expected to centre on ethics, technology, and the future of artificial intelligence, concerns over job losses quickly drew attention.
While the Pope warned against unchecked technological power, Olah, seated among cardinals and theologians at the event, cautioned that AI could significantly disrupt jobs worldwide.
Speaking at the event, Olah said there is “a real possibility” that AI could disrupt labour markets if deployed at scale. He noted that such changes would require societies to rethink support systems for workers affected by automation. “If that happens, supporting those displaced will be a moral imperative of historic proportions,” he said.
In addition, the Pope advocated for stronger government regulation of AI companies and criticised what he described as the growing “concentration of power in the digital world.”
Olah acknowledged the pressures facing AI companies, noting that frontier AI labs operate under commercial competition, geopolitical tensions and personal ambitions that may not always align with society’s broader interests.
“Every frontier AI lab operates inside a set of incentives and constraints that can sometimes conflict with doing the right thing.” Olah said
Anthropic, the US-based company behind the Claude AI models, has previously differed with President Donald Trump’s administration on AI policy. The company has advocated for stricter safeguards on how advanced AI systems are deployed, particularly in military contexts, including restrictions on autonomous weapons targeting and domestic surveillance.
At the same time, Olah welcomed the Vatican’s growing engagement with AI, arguing that ethical discussions around the technology should not remain confined to the tech industry alone. According to him, outside institutions such as governments, civil society groups, and religious organisations can play an important role in shaping how AI develops and is governed.
The remarks come at a time when companies are rapidly deploying AI systems capable of writing, coding, analysing data and automating workplace tasks. As businesses expand the use of generative AI tools, concerns around workforce disruption have grown, particularly for jobs involving repetitive digital work.
The Vatican’s views on AI reflect broader concerns about ethics, inequality and accountability, signalling that debates over AI are expanding beyond tech companies and governments to include institutions focused on human dignity and social impact.
In a clip from the event that circulated online, the Pope was seen thanking Olah and signalling future collaborations with Anthropic. The Pope said the Church and AI company would work together to “find a way for humanity in this time of artificial intelligence.”