VATICAN CITY – Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical – a document which lays the basis for Church teaching and longer-term debate – sets out his thoughts mainly on the ethical questions raised by the boom of artificial intelligence.
Here are the key quotes from the text, “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity):
“Calling for prudence, rigorous evaluation and even, at times, a slower pace in adopting AI does not mean opposing progress; instead, it is an exercise of responsible care for the human family.
This need is all the more urgent given the frequent imbalance between the speed of technological growth and the slower development of awareness, norms, safeguards and institutions capable of governing its effects.
It is not enough to invoke ethics in the abstract; robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility are required.”
“As with every major technological shift, AI tends to amplify the power of those who already possess economic resources, expertise and access to data.
In light of the common good and the universal destination of goods, this raises serious concerns, since small but highly influential groups can shape information and consumption patterns, influence democratic processes and steer economic dynamics to their own advantage, undermining social justice and solidarity among peoples.”
“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.
This entails a race for ever more powerful algorithms and larger datasets, driven by the desire to secure geopolitical or commercial dominance.
To disarm means discrediting the assumption that technical power automatically confers the right to govern.
To disarm does not mean rejecting technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity. It means freeing technology from monopolistic control and opening it to discussion and debate, therefore making it human-friendly and restoring it to the plurality of human cultures and ways of life.”
“Without bold decisions, the prospect of greater poverty and inequality looms large, which would leave many individuals marginalised, stranded and surrounded by the machines and automated systems that have replaced them.”
“A significant part of the digital economy’s functioning relies on the silent work of millions of people engaged in essential yet largely unseen activities, such as data labeling, model training and content moderation, often involving disturbing material.
In many cases, these workers are young people, predominantly women, working under demanding conditions for minimal wages. Added to this invisible labour is the even harsher work of extracting the resources required for the production of the devices and microprocessors on which AI depends.”
“It is not enough to invoke efficiency, nor to celebrate the benefits of innovation, if they are built on a chain of exploitation that remains deliberately hidden.
If technology promises emancipation, yet produces new forms of global subordination, it stands in contradiction to the fundamental principle of human dignity.
The fight against new forms of slavery is a decisive test for the ethical discernment of AI and digital transformation.”
“Humanity is slipping into a violent culture of power, where peace no longer appears as a responsibility to be taken on, but as a fragile interval between conflicts.
Today, more than ever, without prejudice to the right to self-defence in the strictest sense, it is important to reaffirm that the ‘just war’ theory, which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is now outdated.
Humanity possesses far more effective and capable tools for promoting human life and resolving conflicts, such as dialogue, diplomacy and forgiveness. The use of force, violence and weapons reflects a relational poverty that always has disastrous consequences for civilian populations.” AFP