Pope Leo XIV says AI must serve humanity, not the powerful few
Key takeaways
- Disarming AI means freeing it from the mentality of armed competition, which today is not limited simply to the military context, but is also an economic and cognitive phenomenon, Leo wrote.
- For this reason, merely regulating it is insufficient; it must be disarmed, welcoming and accessible, the document read.
- AI tends to amplify the power of those who already possess economic resources, expertise and access to data, he wrote.
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Leo XIV took direct aim at the power of Big Tech in his first encyclical on Monday (May 25), warning that artificial intelligence risks widening inequality, weakening democracy and undermining what it means to be human.
The 83-page papal teaching document, titled Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity), frames AI as the new industrial revolution and makes an appeal to disarm AI by removing it from military and economic interests, subjecting AI companies to stricter state and international regulations and inviting the broad participation of individuals and communities in shaping the future of this rapidly developing technology.
Disarming AI means freeing it from the mentality of armed competition, which today is not limited simply to the military context, but is also an economic and cognitive phenomenon, Leo wrote. Disarming does not mean renouncing technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity, he added.