August M
When a new technology explodes onto the scene, people usually scramble to figure out the rules reports
Leaders around the world are increasingly stepping in to set boundaries. Now, a very traditional voice has decided to weigh in on the modern digital revolution, reports DR News.
Disarming the machine
Pope Leo recently released his very first encyclical on Pentecost Sunday. The letter directly tackles the rapid rise of artificial intelligence.
The Catholic leader warned developers to slow down. According to Dr News, he expressed deep concern that these digital tools lack a fundamental human touch.
“AI must be disarmed (…) Disarming does not mean rejecting technology, but preventing it from dominating humanity,” the Pope wrote in his circular, titled ‘Magnifica Humanitas’.
Concentrating global power
The sweeping document makes it clear that the religious leader actually supports innovation. He just worries about the massive social consequences.
“As with any major technological shift, AI tends to reinforce the power of those who already possess economic resources, expertise and access to data,” the Pope explained in the text.
Gry Hasselbalch studies technology ethics. She told Dr News that the religious message perfectly mirrors growing global anxiety.
“When I read the document, I see all the problems and all the criticism that has previously been raised by civil society and several of the major international organizations,” Hasselbalch said.
An unlikely guest
The presentation featured a highly unexpected face. Christopher Olah sat just three seats away from the pontiff during the major announcement.
Olah helped found the Silicon Valley technology giant Anthropic. His prominent placement struck some observers as a massive contradiction.
“The whole argument that we have some large, powerful AI companies that build their business on the extraction of human resources loses weight when the presentation is launched side by side with Anthropic’s co-founder,” Hasselbalch argued.
Starting a dialogue
Still, the ethics expert acknowledged that the Vatican prefers diplomacy over direct confrontation.
“In Pope Leo’s defense, the approach of the church is always to work with diplomacy and dialogue rather than attack,” Hasselbalch pointed out.
Anthropic sees the meeting as a positive step forward. The company posted Olah’s Vatican speech online.
“Today is just the beginning. The start of a long collaboration between those of us who are building this and those who can see what we cannot from the inside,” Olah stated.
Sources: Dr News
