Artificial Intelligence, or “super intelligence” as President Trump brands it, is on everybody’s mind, including Pope Leo XIV. Last Friday in Paris, at the UNESCO headquarters, he warned that a “paradise of machines” risked undermining humanity and, during his lengthy speech, posed fundamental questions about what it means to be human during these troubling times.
“Peace is not a balance of power; rather, it is built day-by-day through dialogue and justice,” he said. This is reminiscent of Dr. Martin Luther’s King’s definition of true peace, which he said, “is not the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.” For the most part, the pope addressed the people of France, specifically President Macron, reminding them of the country’s “deep Christian roots.” He stressed the point that the right to life is the “indispensable foundation of every other human right.”
The dignity of human life and humanity was his opening to discuss the threats posed by artificial intelligence, threats dismissed by Trump. “The paradox has become increasingly evident: while ‘intelligence’ is attributed to computational systems, we struggle to recognize the inalienable dignity of human persons, whose lives are judged according to the criterion of efficiency and, when deemed no longer productive, are rejected and discarded,” he said.
In many respects, Pope Leo is continuing the legacy of Pope Leo XIII, addressing modern challenges, particularly artificial intelligence, as well as concerns for oppressed minorities. On these resolutions, he is praised by The Rev. Aristide Ahidote, from the Ivory Coast, who said, “God has given us a pope with vigor and strength.”
We salute Pope Leo’s progressive stances on migration, social justice, and climate change, and we believe his cautious concerns about artificial intelligence are commendable. The world would certainly be better off if it heeded his desire for peace and prosperity.
