tech
Pope Leo XIV tells the Vatican to disarm AI, in the first encyclical of his pontificate
Magnifica humanitas calls for breaking up monopolistic control of the technology, rules out algorithmic warfare, and is being presented alongside Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah.
TL;DR
- Pope Leo XIV issued his first encyclical, Magnifica humanitas, calling for the disarmament of artificial intelligence.
- The encyclical emphasizes restoring human primacy over algorithms and discrediting the assumption that technical power grants governing rights.
- It targets the concentration of AI technology, advocating for a "human-friendly" AI free from "monopolistic control."
- The document strongly states that "No algorithm can make war morally acceptable" and criticizes AI's potential to hasten and depersonalize conflict.
- This encyclical is presented as a successor to Catholic social teaching for the industrial age, adapted for the AI era.
- The Vatican's AI adviser, Father Paolo Benanti, has previously criticized views on AI from figures like Peter Thiel.
- Vice president JD Vance acknowledged the potential influence of the Pope's statement on AI policy.