source: techcrunch ai: the pope’s ai encyclical isn’t really about ai
level: business
pope leo xiv published his first encyclical, magnifica humanitas, on monday. the 200-page document addresses safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence. the pope presented it alongside chris olah, co-founder of anthropic. the text argues that technology built and governed by a small elite cannot serve the common good. it warns that concentrated power becomes opaque and evades public oversight, leading to new dependencies, exclusions, and inequalities.
the encyclical highlights how ai amplifies the power of those with economic resources, expertise, and data access. it says elites can shape information, influence democratic processes, and steer economic dynamics to their own advantage. the pope calls for ai to be guided by clear criteria and effective oversight rooted in community participation. he also urges an end to the ai arms race, where companies and countries pursue ever more powerful algorithms for geopolitical or commercial dominance.
these concerns echo historical patterns, from the industrial revolution to recent events like elon musk’s twitter acquisition and tech funding against ai regulation. notre dame law professor paolo carozza notes that ai-driven misinformation corrodes our ability to recognize truth, affecting democratic politics. the tech industry’s harvesting and manipulation of human data also poses fundamental challenges to cognitive freedom. the encyclical frames ai as a new chapter in an old struggle over who controls society’s tools.
why it matters: it shows how ai governance debates are part of broader power struggles, urging data scientists to consider societal impacts beyond technical metrics.
source: techcrunch ai: the pope’s ai encyclical isn’t really about ai