A Philippine labor advocacy group has welcomed Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical on artificial intelligence, saying it supports calls for stronger worker protections as concerns grow over the impact of automation on jobs and livelihoods.
The Ecumenical Institute for Labor Education and Research (EILER) said Magnifica Humanitas, released on May 25, reinforces long-standing demands that technological development serve workers and communities rather than profit alone.
“The encyclical is an important contribution to the labor movement. The Pope reiterates the need for solidarity of the workers in the midst of the rapid development of Artificial Intelligence or AI industry,” said Rochelle Porras, executive director of EILER.
The group’s assessment was echoed by the Student Christian Movement of the Philippines (SCMP), which described the encyclical as a renewed commitment to social justice and human dignity.
SCMP said Pope Leo’s reflections on artificial intelligence place greater emphasis on the social consequences of technology, particularly for workers and marginalized communities.
In its reflection on the encyclical, SCMP said Pope Leo views technology not simply as a technical matter but as one shaped by social and economic forces. The group said the document reaffirms the dignity of work and the principle of making labor “primary over profit.”
EILER cited estimates from the International Monetary Fund indicating that around 40 percent of jobs worldwide could be affected by the expansion of artificial intelligence.
The group also referenced a Goldman Sachs projection that as many as 300 million full-time jobs could face disruption from automation.
The labor organization said the issue carries particular urgency in the Philippines, where International Labour Organization data show that more than 12.7 million jobs, or about one-quarter of total employment, are exposed to AI-related disruption, the highest occupational exposure rate in Southeast Asia.
EILER identified the business process outsourcing industry, which contributes about 7 percent of the country’s gross domestic product, as among the sectors most vulnerable to automation.
“The Pope’s reminder that profiteering at the expense of employment protection is unjustified and that technology must not remain at the hands of the few, echoes the long-standing demands of workers for decent jobs, social protection, and social justice,” Porras said.
SCMP also pointed to the encyclical’s concern for “hidden, often exploited workers” whose labor supports AI systems while remaining largely invisible to the public.
The group said the document challenges economic systems that reduce people to measures of productivity and efficiency.
“Even neoliberal institutions now recognize the growing precarity that workers experience under profit-driven development. This reaffirms what labor groups have been demanding: without genuine labor protections and a national industry, the democratic control of technology remains elusive and AI will be used mainly for capital accumulation, at the cost of job insecurity, poverty wages, and mass layoffs,” Porras said.
EILER also welcomed Pope Leo’s support for labor unions and collective action, saying workers need stronger protections as emerging technologies continue to reshape workplaces.
“Pope Leo’s message reflects the urgency for collective action among the working people. The dignity of the work cannot be compromised in the name of efficiency and progress that deepens exploitation and drives the race to the bottom,” Porras said.
The statements come as labor advocates and other sectors continue to assess the implications of artificial intelligence for employment and working conditions in the Philippines.
EILER and SCMP both cited Magnifica Humanitas in discussing concerns about labor protections, inequality, and the social impact of emerging technologies.
