Leo XIV, the current pope, often avoids making headlines. Known for his Chicago roots, fondness for the White Sox, and opposition to the war in Iran, his papacy has been rather uneventful in terms of public perception.
His theological stance is also mild. Unlike his predecessors, John Paul II and Benedict XVI, who were academic theologians, Leo XIV exhibits more caution, akin to Francis. His interests appear to be practical and pastoral. Grand programmatic views, even concerning pressing matters such as artificial intelligence (AI), do not appeal to him. Leo’s first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, presented on Monday, focuses on AI.
Despite modern encyclicals being lengthy and cautious, Magnifica Humanitas further stands out as measured and conservative. Leo dismisses just war theory as outdated, unrelated to AI. While expressing concern over AI’s potential threats to humanity, he perceives it merely as a tool rather than an outright evil to reject.
The encyclical starts with the imagery of the Tower of Babel, symbolizing technological arrogance. The story’s moral suggests avoidance rather than ethical construction.
The encyclical appears uninspired, packed with forgettable quotes and papal references. Some lines are borrowed from The Lord of the Rings and Hannah Arendt but lack relevance. Leo’s engagement with contemporary critics of technological advancement, like philosopher Byung-Chul Han and historian Anton Jäger, could have provided more depth.
This document is nowhere near the controversial end of the spectrum, such as the Unabomber manifesto. It comes off as somewhat naïve, failing to reach expectations akin to Rerum Novarum, Leo XIII’s groundbreaking text on the Industrial Revolution.
Even the attendance of AI firm Anthropic’s founder, Christopher Olah, at the encyclical’s presentation raised questions. It parallels an unlikely scenario where Leo XIII might have invited industrialist John D. Rockefeller to discussions on labor dignity.
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