Fr Liam Power: Pope Leo on the novel concept of disarming AI

I have already offered a reflection on Pope Leo’s first encyclical Magnifica Humanitas (English title: “On the Safeguarding of the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence”). I appreciate that to return to the same topic is usually not advisable, but there are one or two themes in the document that really inspired me and I would like to share some thoughts on these. 

Leo introduces the concept of ‘disarming AI’ and offers a profound apology for the failure of the Church to condemn slavery.  

To contextualise my reflections: the core concern of the encyclical is whether AI technology will serve the human person or will we become subordinate to the technology? 

AI is embedded inextricably in our lives. I never cease to be amazed when, after purchasing a product, my iPhone continuously pings, alerting me to posts advertising similar products. Retailers can predict customer preferences using AI and can easily manipulate vulnerable customers into purchasing goods they may not be able to afford or indeed need at that particular time.

Such intrusions into the private lives of individuals raise serious ethical concerns. 

“When every action - movements, purchases, relationships and preferences - leaves a trace, a new form of power emerges, namely the power to profile, predict and influence behaviour, often without individuals being fully aware of it.” 

AI systems are designed to maximise engagement and many people testify that this encourages compulsive use, which can undermine our freedom.

On a more sinister level, AI can shape public opinion by distorting and controlling social media platforms and by selecting which political stories gain attention. 

Of course, AI can be used to mislead voters and create confusion during political campaigns, making it very difficult for voters to distinguish truth from falsehood. And the distortion of the truth raises serious ethical concerns. 

Leo is adamant that AI is not morally neutral. Every system “embodies choices and priorities through what it measures, ignores and optimises”.  The Pope is challenging us to come up with human-made strategies to prevent some of the worst-case effects of runaway AI on social life and communities.

He also means disarming AI quite literally. He voices deep concern about autonomous weapon systems, which are AI-controlled weapons that are empowered to make decisions, but without the human factors of compassion, mercy, and other moral judgments. He argues that such weapon systems distance human beings from moral responsibility and lower the threshold for violence.

In calling for international cooperation to ensure effective regulation of AI, Pope Leo uses the striking phrase “disarming AI”. He argues that AI must be freed from forces that turn it into an instrument of domination, exploitation and particularly warfare. He wants to free it “from the mentality of armed competition”.

Specifically, disarming means rejecting the idea that technological power automatically gives a right to rule. It also means preventing AI from being concentrated in the hands of a few corporations or governments. He is very critical of the race among corporations and indeed nations to control the most powerful algorithms, often at the expense of poorer countries and workers. 

He warns of the threat posed by the digital age of a new form of colonialism. He points out how health records, demographic information and genetic data gathered from poorer or politically weaker nations can be used to shape markets, guide investments, and determine political influence in the poorer or third world countries.

To disarm is primarily a moral and social proposal: to ensure that AI is developed in a way that promotes peace, human dignity, and human flourishing.

One of the most striking sections of the encyclical is the Pope’s acknowledgement of the Church’s failure to unequivocally condemn slavery for nearly 19 centuries. He sincerely asks for pardon for this failure to recognise the sheer incompatibility of slavery with the fundamental doctrine of the unique dignity of each person created in the image and likeness of God. 

“It is impossible not to feel deep sorrow when contemplating the immense suffering and humiliation endured by so many (slaves).” (There are many such instances of doctrinal development over the centuries when “the eternal truths of the gospel encounter the many questions in history". To mention but a few: the declaration of religious freedom and the inviolability of conscience at Vatican II, the condemnation of capital punishment by Pope Francis, marked significant developments in church teaching.) 

In light of the complicity and blindness, Leo exhorts all people of goodwill to be even more vigilant to recognise and to denounce modern forms of slavery. He reminds us that there are various forms of servitude linked to the digital economy. In particular, he highlights the abominable practice of human trafficking and the commodification of persons.

Magnifica Humanitas helps chart a course through the digital wilderness created by AI and Leo gifted the world with a profoundly human map.