Commentary: Pope Leo begins to update 'just war' theory - Brookings Register -
brookingsregister.com
Pope Leo XIV's AI encyclical may be quietly dismantling one of philosophy's oldest moral frameworks — and the implications for modern warfare are massive.
Just War TheoryEthics of Artificial IntelligenceMoral AgencyNatural Law Theory
Theory Briefing
- Pope Leo XIV's encyclical on artificial intelligence appears to reject just war theory, a doctrine shaping military ethics for centuries.
- Just war theory holds that violence can be morally justified under strict conditions — AI-driven warfare challenges every one of those conditions.
- The Pope's stance signals a potential philosophical turning point: if autonomous weapons can't satisfy moral agency, war itself may be unjustifiable.