The Pope on Artificial Intelligence

NPR - Pope Leo XIV addressed the rise of artificial intelligence today in his first encyclical, a major teaching addressed to the world's 1.4 billion Catholics. Leo's “Magnificent Humanity” urges Catholics to engage in shaping AI ethics instead of leaving it in the hands ofl of wealthy tech elites. Pope Leo is concerned that Silicon Valley is pushing the idea of a hybrid human-machine world, says Claire Giangrave, Vatican correspondent for NPR's partner organization Religion News Service. Giangrave says the pope sees AI as a new Industrial Revolution and believes the Catholic Church can help guide society toward a more human and humane future. The pope describes a new face of colonialism, where people's data and information are exploited. He calls it "one of the most urgent moral challenges of our time" and argues that governments and international organizations must step up to place laws and regulations around AI use. While some AI companies resist any regulation of AI development, others in Silicon Valley are actively seeking guidance from religious traditions as they navigate new and unexpected technological advancements, Giangrave says.