In a thought-provoking twist, it seems that artificial intelligence may have played a role in crafting parts of Pope Leo XIV’s latest encyclical, which addresses AI’s impact on humanity. Linch Zhang, in an insightful analysis shared on the LessWrong forum, points out that sections of the document, titled Magnifica Humanitas, might be between 40 to 100 percent AI-generated. This conclusion was drawn using the renowned AI detector, Pangram.
The document exhibits characteristics typical of AI-generated content, such as the frequent use of the word “genuinely,” a term commonly found in writings by Anthropic’s AI, Claude. Zhang highlights this as a deviation from previous encyclicals. An independent review conducted by another analyst, who ran the encyclical’s text through Pangram section by section, discovered that 62 percent of the first chapter was flagged as AI-produced. When The Verge examined approximately 2,000 words using the same tool, it determined that 46 percent appeared to be AI-written.
It is crucial to note, however, that AI detection is not infallible. Zhang emphasizes that some sections were identified as “essentially 0% AI” by Pangram. Previous encyclicals, when evaluated, showed a 100 percent likelihood of being human-authored. Additionally, a transcript of Pope Leo’s speech was also confirmed to be human-written.
The reliability of AI detection tools like Pangram can vary, with results often differing across platforms. Even when a consensus is reached among detectors, certainty is not guaranteed. Nonetheless, Pangram holds a credible reputation within the AI research community. As of March 2025, Pangram reported a false positive rate of mistakenly identifying human-authored work as AI-generated at about “1 in 10,000.”
Encyclicals, as explained by The New York Times, are extensive letters from the pope that convey teachings on pressing moral and social issues. This particular encyclical marks Pope Leo’s inaugural foray into this tradition, following Pope Francis’s most recent encyclical from October 2024. Significantly, it is the first to delve into the multifaceted implications of AI, with Pope Leo introducing the document alongside Christopher Olah, a co-founder of Anthropic.
Encyclicals are lengthy letters published by the pope, meant to impart teachings that address important moral and social challenges of the time, according to The New York Times. This encyclical is the pope’s first, with the most recent one written by Pope Francis in October 2024. It’s also the first to focus on AI and its wide-ranging influences, with Pope Leo notably presenting it alongside Christopher Olah, a co-founder of Anthropic.
The Vatican didn’t immediately reply to a request for comment.
