Analysis: Pope Leo calls for reflection on the use of AI in work and war

On Monday morning (25), the Vatican returned to the center of world attention with the publication of Pope Leo XIV's first Encyclical Letter.

Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity, in Portuguese) was presented in the Synod Hall with the presence of the pontiff and important cardinals: the Argentine Víctor Manuel Fernández, from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (formerly the Holy Office); Canadian-Czech Michael Czerny, from the Dicastery for Integral Human Development; and Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of the Holy See.

Theologians Anna Rowlands, from the United Kingdom, and Congolese Leocadie Lushombo joined the table afterwards, highlighting the significant contribution of women in the bodies of the Catholic Church.

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Another presence that drew a lot of attention - and which had already been announced last week - was Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic, one of the world's leading AI companies.

But after all, what is an encyclical?
An Encyclical Letter is one of the most relevant texts that a pope can publish. It differs from other papal documents, such as Exhortations, Bulls, Motu Proprio or Apostolic Constitutions, mainly due to its target audience.

While other texts tend to address the internal hierarchy of the Church and the Catholic faithful, the encyclicals are addressed to "all people of good will", an expression that often opens or closes the documents of the so-called Social Magisterium of the Church.

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The term, of Greek origin, means "general" or "circular". Encyclicals seek to offer analyses, contributions and reflections on moral or social issues that affect humanity, always illuminated by the Holy Scriptures and Tradition.

Hence the weight of the document published this Monday (25): it is not just a personal opinion of Pope Leo XIV given in an interview, but rather the reflection and contribution of a two-millennial institution on artificial intelligence and its developments.

Significant date for the relationship between the Church and society
Although the encyclical was released this Monday, the text was signed by Pope Leo XIV on May 15th.

The date was surgically chosen to honor the 135th anniversary of the publication of Rerum Novarum (1891), the first social encyclical in history, which dealt with property rights, the dignity of the poorest and the rights of workers at the height of the Second Industrial Revolution.

That text was signed by Pope Leo XIII - precisely the name that inspired the choice of Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost when he was elected pope in the last Conclave.

Just as the labor question challenged the Church in the 19th century, now, under the pontificate of Leo XIV - continuing a movement started by Pope Francis - the current technological revolution has become the great social issue of our time.

AI raises deep concerns about its impacts on the job market, education, information dissemination and even war.

The main points of the Encyclical Magnifica humanitas
Containing 245 paragraphs, divided into 5 chapters, the text's central theme is the defense of human dignity in the era of artificial intelligence, therefore, it is not a text about AI, but about the care of the person in the face of a technology that is not neutral, requiring urgent regulation and accountability to avoid the deepening of inequalities and the erosion of democracy through disinformation.

The document repudiates the currents of transhumanism, which treat the human being as a project to be optimized. It also vehemently denounces new forms of slavery and "data colonialism", which support technological advancement at the expense of the invisible exploitation of workers and vulnerable populations.

Evoking the choice between the pride of the Tower of Babel and the solidarity reconstruction of Jerusalem, the text calls for technology to always be subordinated to the common good and human dignity.

In this sense, the encyclical highlights the need to defend humanity on two critical fronts: work and war.

The Pope warns that automation and the incessant search for profits cannot justify mass unemployment or precariousness, since work is essential to human fulfillment and cannot be sacrificed.

On the global stage, the work severely condemns the use of lethal autonomous weapons, stressing that it is not lawful to delegate life or death decisions to algorithms, as this removes the ethical limit from conflicts, reduces victims to mere data and makes war morally unacceptable.

Impact on the geopolitical scenario
The encyclical, right at its beginning, recalls that "the proclamation of the Gospel cannot forget the concrete lives of people", therefore, anyone who thinks that the Catholic Church is only concerned with its celebrations and rites is mistaken.

In a fragile world, with wars and countless disputes involving the use of resources and possible new configurations in the economic scenario, the Catholic Church is present on this geopolitical board.

Both in the text and in the speech made after the publication of the document, Pope Leo XIV was emphatic: "It is necessary to disarm AI!", expressing concern about how technology can be used in military conflicts.

Will the heads of state listen to him?

About the author:

Raylson Araujo is a theologian graduated from PUC-SP, studying for a master's degree in Theology and researcher on topics related to the Vatican, Digital Culture and Communication. He works as an author, lecturer and is a member of the CNBB Youth Episcopal Commission.

Who is Robert Prevost, Pope Leo XIV?

Source: CNN