Fr Liam Power: Pope Leo - AI must serve humanity

Pope Leo XIV presented his first encyclical last week, entitled Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity). Leo is alerting the world to the many dangers posed by the unregulated and morally unconstrained development of AI (Artificial Intelligence) and its many diverse applications.

The Pope acknowledges the great public benefits of AI but the purpose of the encyclical is to alert the world to the threat posed by AI and advanced technologies in general to the healthy functioning of society. To quote “(we must) require that the use of the goods of creation and the new possibilities offered by technology be regulated in such a way as to respect the environment, avoid waste and prevent new forms of exploitation." The question that must be faced is “what kind of world are we building and what place does the human person have in it”.

The publication marked the 135th anniversary of Rerum Novarum ('On the Condition of Labour' is the English title), the groundbreaking encyclical issued by Pope Leo XIII in 1991. It was presented as a cry of protest against the exploitation of workers, which was widespread during the Industrial Revolution. The Pope was outraged at the misery and wretchedness pressing so unjustly on the majority of the working class. The document committed the Catholic Church to a rejection of a central thesis of liberal capitalism, namely that labour is a commodity to be bought at market prices, determined by the law of supply and demand, rather than by the human needs of the worker.

Pope Leo XIV, in continuity with the great tradition initiated by his predecessor, reminds us that "technology has the power to heal, connect, educate and protect our common home; but it can also divide, exclude and generate new forms of injustice."

I can only touch on some of the issues raised by the Pope in the encyclical in a limited column.

Like his predecessor, Leo XIV has a particular concern for the plight of workers. He reminds us that in this age (the fourth industrial revolution), (because of AI) there is a legitimate fear of a “significant and rapid contraction in available jobs that would create a chain reaction, deeply impacting families, young people and local economies… creating new forms of job insecurity and inequality.” 

Those who specialise in AI would be greatly remunerated, whilst alongside of this, a large portion of the workforce would be subjected to a dramatic drop in wages.

A high level of technical development coupled with a high rate of unemployment would result in human and cultural impoverishment as “forced inactivity would lead to a lack of responsibility and the absence of daily stimuli…” 

The Pope calls on political leaders, trade unions and leaders in the business world to develop “rapidly adequate shared regulations and protections including at international level”. 

Pope Leo is very critical of the fact that the world’s wealth is increasingly concentrated in a few hands, widening inequalities both within and between countries. He is insisting that the benefits of technological innovation must be accompanied by investment in skills, infrastructure and essential services to ensure that the gap between rich and poor does not widen.

The Pope is very concerned about the threat of social control posed by AI. Through the use of an algorithm, every action and preference of individuals can be recorded; this gives Big-Tech oligarchs power to influence behaviour which people may not even be aware of. There is a huge risk here of undermining freedom.

He calls on those who develop AI to recognise the particular ethical and spiritual responsibility they have to embed values in their projects to give careful attention to ensuring that what is being cultivated is a genuine human good. He claims that the digital revolution threatens to normalise an anti-human vision. He argues that when efficiency becomes the ultimate measure of value, human beings are tempted to see themselves as a project to be optimised rather than as persons called to relationship and communion. We must care for one another.

Leo is particularly scathing of the culture of power, which he claims is taking hold. (I detect a veiled critique of the American Presidency here). The ability to dominate and the availability of resources tend to dictate the criteria for decision-making. Such a culture infiltrates society and grows “by normalising war and pursuing ever greater military power and above all by fuelling a false realism that there is no alternative”. This is fuelled by disinformation and fear.

Pope Leo does not limit himself to denouncing evil. He concludes on a very positive note. He views the present reality not as a predetermined fate but an opportunity for collective conversion. Emphasising the need for greater diplomacy and international cooperation, Leo calls for a civilisation of love which will be built from the “sum total of small and steadfast acts of fidelity that serve as a bulwark against dehumanisation”.