The Pope has strongly criticised the development of AI and called for it to be regulated
This is reported by The Vatican News.
The encyclical is entitled Magnifica humanitas (“The Greatness of Humanity”), published to mark the 135th anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum novarum – a landmark social document of the Catholic Church during the Industrial Revolution.
The Pontiff drew a parallel between the changes of that era and the modern age of artificial intelligence. In the text, Pope Leo XIV emphasises that technology in itself is not evil, yet it is never neutral, as it reflects the goals and values of those who create, finance and control it.
The Pope warned of the danger of the so-called ‘technocratic paradigm’, where efficiency and profit become the main criteria for decision-making. In his words, artificial intelligence is capable of imitating humans, but lacks moral conscience, empathy or spirituality.
The head of the Catholic Church paid particular attention to the military use of AI. He called for artificial intelligence to be “disarmed”, freeing it from the logic of war, domination and competition. In the view of Pope Leo XIV, technological power should not automatically confer the right to rule over people.
The Pope also advocated for the creation of international rules and independent oversight of AI development, as well as the protection of workers from mass displacement due to automation. He emphasised that digital technologies must serve the common good, not the interests of a narrow circle of corporations.
In the document, Leo XIV called for the defence of truth and the fight against disinformation, as well as the promotion of education and critical thinking among young people in the context of the rapid development of digital technologies.
As a reminder, the Pope had previously called on world leaders not to use war for their own interests.
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