“If this technology is coming, it must go well – for our common home, and for the children to come.” – (Chris Olah, co-founder of Anthropic, May 2026 at launch of the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas)

Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical Magnifica Humanitas arrives at an important moment in the development of artificial intelligence. At a time when much of the conversation around AI is dominated by speed, capability and competitive advantage, the encyclical offers a different perspective: that the real question is not simply what AI can do, but what it is doing to people.

Looking beyond efficiency

Much of today’s AI debate focuses on productivity gains, automation and operational efficiency. Organisations are under pressure to adopt AI quickly, integrate it deeply and demonstrate measurable returns. But when efficiency becomes the dominant lens, it becomes easy to overlook the wider human consequences of how technology is introduced and used.

As the encyclical puts it, “technological progress – valuable in itself – requires careful discernment of the anthropological vision that guides it and the ends it pursues.” In other words, the question is not only what AI delivers, but what vision of people and organisations it embeds.

Behind every AI implementation are questions about dignity, responsibility, trust and work. How are decisions being made? Who benefits? Who is displaced or excluded? What happens to judgement, creativity and accountability when systems become increasingly automated?

These are not abstract ethical concerns sitting outside business strategy. They are increasingly central to it.

The kind of organisations we are building

As AI moves deeper into core organisational functions – from recruitment and customer engagement to decision-making and performance management – businesses are not just deploying tools: they are shaping workplace culture, redefining relationships between people and institutions, and influencing the kind of economy that emerges as a consequence.

This is why the encyclical’s focus on human dignity feels particularly relevant. It challenges leaders to resist viewing people purely through the lens of optimisation and instead ask whether technology is strengthening human capability or quietly eroding it. The encyclical is pointed on this, observing that AI “frequently forces workers to adapt to the speed and demands of machines, rather than machines being designed to support those who work.” For many organisations, that dynamic is already visible in how performance is monitored, how workloads are set and how little room remains for human judgement.

Purpose, responsibility and leadership

The organisations that navigate AI well are unlikely to be those that pursue automation indiscriminately. More likely, they will be the ones that combine innovation with intentionality: adopting technology in ways that enhance human contribution, build trust and create sustainable long-term value.

That requires leadership disciplines that go beyond technical implementation. It means creating clearer governance, thinking carefully about workforce impact, involving employees in change processes and being transparent about how AI is being used.

It also means recognising that culture and ethics are not barriers to innovation; increasingly, they are part of what makes innovation sustainable.

A more human-centred approach to AI

The challenge for leaders now is not whether to engage with AI, but how to do so responsibly and purposefully – in a more human centred way.

Blueprint’s thinking and approach is grounded in the two ideas that sit at the heart of Magnifica Humanitas: the dignity and value of every person, and the common good. Our AI Framework – A Guide to Purpose-led Business draws directly on these principles. It is designed to help business leaders ask better questions about how AI is being adopted, and to create the space for more honest, human-centred conversations inside their organisations – helping them to align innovation with long-term human and organisational value.

The future of AI will not be defined solely by technological capability. It will also be shaped by the values, choices and responsibilities of the people leading its adoption.