Magnificent Humanity and AI

The Church is constantly called to read the signs of the times, to discern “ the new things” that develop in each phase of history and to shed the Light of the Gospel on them. In his first encyclical  “Magnifica Humanitas”, Pope Leo examines the rapidly  evolving technical tool known  as “artificial intelligence” or AI. He invites us “to examine more closely what AI is, the possibilites it opens up and the risks it involves” (96). He asks us to ensure that "it will always be human conscience and freedom that guide technical innovations and responsibly determines their use and limits. ” (96)   

His concern is not primarily  about our  right or wrong use of AI individually.   He is conscious that increasingly " power, decision making and  wealth are concentrated in the hands of a few".  (95).  He points out “ that even those who design these tools  possess only a limited  understanding of their actual functioning”. (98) "They often surpass human intelligence in speed and computational capacity” (99) For these reasons, he asks scientists to slow down the progress of the  development of AI and to discern its impact on humanity. 

Central to the whole encyclical, it Pope Leo’s vision of what a human being is, magnificent in their creation and dignity, yet, human, fragile, fallible and limited.   His greatest fear for humanity is that those who design and programme these tools may not always put the human person and the common good first.   They can impose their own morality, vision of progress and ethics. They can use human beings as disposable waste,  further exploit the resources of the planet and turn the power of AI into an instrument of war. AI could end up "turning humanity against itself. “

Pope Leo recalls the principles of the Church’s Social Teaching whose foundations were laid by Pope Leo XIII when humanity was faced with another revolution, the Industrial Revolution,  a “new thing”, a “rerum novarum” in his time .  Pope Leo offers these principles as a guide in our discernment of the uses of AI.  "The digital world is a new continent to be evangelised” and needs the Wisdom and the Light of the Holy Spirit to guide humanity in its decisions. Pope Leo asks each of us the question: " What kind of world do we want to build?”  

 “At the heart of everything is the Mystery of the Incarnation”. We can keep before our eyes The Word made Flesh, the Human Face of God in whose image we are made. He  came to show us the Way in every age and generation and every “new thing”.  (230)