The Holy Father Pope Leo XIV just published his first encyclical, entitled Magnificent Humanity (in Latin, above). It’s a long read, coming in at 42,000 words, so here’s a few things I’ve gleaned from my initial study of the document.
It is worth noting the provenance of both the Pope’s choice of Leo as his Papal name, and the subject of this encyclical. Robert Francis Prevost has confirmed he chose the name Leo in part to recall the last Pope so-named, Leo XIII. That Pope published a very important encyclical entitled Rerum Novarum (“On New Things”) in 1891. That document decried the atheistic, inhumane end-states of socialism, communism, and laissez-faire capitalism. It demanded a living wage for the working class, humane working conditions, and support for families, while decrying all forms of exploitation. For those wondering what effects a Papal encyclical can have, the modern concerns for the working class can largely be tied back to his authoritative document.
In his encyclical, Leo XIV consciously cites his predecessor’s work, and calls out the technological challenges facing humanity today, much as the industrial revolution challenged the earlier world. To illustrate the challenge, Leo offers twin biblical analogies: the tower of Babel and the restoration of Jerusalem. In the first circumstance, men chose to honor themselves and become self-sufficient, masters of their own destiny, resulting in division and disorder. In the second, the Jews returning to the ruins of Jerusalem worked together to jointly rebuild their city in a display of common good. Technology is only a tool, to be used for good or evil: what type of future do we want to build with AI?
Pope Leo begins with a review of Catholic Social Doctrine from Rerum Novarum to the present. Those who see Catholicism as a set of cultural “don’ts” will find this part of the encyclical an eye-opening list of Popes, documents, and teachings that directly affect the lives of the common man and woman: the absolute necessity to freely associate (ie., unionize), to keep one’s earnings (private property), to care for those less fortunate, to be treated fairly and not simply as a consumer or producer, but as a human being. While the Church explicity rejects socialism or communism, it likewise counsels that unregulated markets or simple majoritarian democracy can produce their own evils.
From this review, the encyclical recalls five principles of Catholic Social Doctrine which must drive our approach to the AI technological challenge:
- The common good, that is rules and actions which allow all to flourish
- The universal destination of goods, to be shared by all
- Subsidiarity, described as solving issues at the lowest, or most local, level first
- Solidarity, or the responsibility for all to be involved
- Social justice, allowing all to lead dignified lives.
Only after all this does the Pope begin to address how this well-developed set of doctrines apply to the artificial intelligence revolution.
“So-called artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through relationships and do not know from within what love, work, friendship or responsibility mean. Nor do they have a moral conscience, since they do not judge good and evil, grasp the ultimate meaning of situations, or bear responsibility for consequences. They may imitate language, behavior and analytical skills, or even simulate empathy and understanding, but they do not understand what they produce, for they lack the affective, relational and spiritual perspective through which human beings grow in wisdom.” –Chapter III, Section 99
Pope Leo specifies that AI and the larger technological revolution must be harnessed for the good of mankind, not exploited for the few at the risk to the many. Here he highlights:
- the search for truth in public life. Everyone must commit to the development of shared truth, since truth is the basis for community. Truth is neither relative nor personal, but a basis for communication and communion.
- education in the digital environment. Youth must come to understand education is not a series of tests or qualifications to pass, but an extended period of hard work and experience leading to knowledge. Families, schools, and communities must work together to ensure the real education of our youth.
- the transformation of work. Work is not a necessary evil, but a fundamental aspect of human life necessary for dignity. Charity to the less fortunate is a necessary but insufficient response; work is the path to maturity and dignity.
- the fragility of families. The family is the first and foremost common good. Technology must not undermine the family or it will damage the social fabric of the community.
- new forms of slavery. The digital age poses new challenges where technology is directly optimized to enslave its users, or the system itself demands slave-like conditions for the materials necessary for its maintenance.
“More gravely, the pervasive technocratic paradigm in which we are immersed, and that is amplified by the digital revolution and AI, threatens to normalize an anti-human vision. In that vision, the fullness of life is equated with having more, reducing weakness, eliminating uncertainty and exerting total control. When efficiency becomes the ultimate measure of value, human beings are tempted to see themselves as a project to be optimized rather than as persons called to relationship and communion.” –Chapter III, section 112
In the final section, the Pope turns to the issue of international relations in the AI era. He criticizes the return of “political realism” in the notion that power, not charity, is the ultimate determinant between peoples and states. He insists human beings must not pass along the immense power of life-or-death decisions to autonomous systems. In a seemingly throw-away line that has received much attention, he states, “Today, more than ever, without prejudice to the right to self-defense in the strictest sense, it is important to reaffirm that the ‘just war’ theory, which has all too often been used to justify any kind of war, is now outdated.” Leo is not rejecting the Just War theory first promulgated by Saint Augustine; Leo is an Augustinian, for Heaven’s sake. He is decrying the manipulation of Just War doctrine to provide a justification for any war. To further the point, he just put Just War theory on the table as a discussion topic at an extraordinary consistory of the College of Cardinals later this month, so stay tuned!
This encyclical does not contain specific policy proposals for the topics it covers. Those proposals are rightfully the realm of our elected representatives; in Catholic terms, they are prudential, not theological issues. Rather, it introduces the principals all should invoke in developing our policies and rules for artificial intelligence. Like Rerum Novarum so many years ago, it is clear-eyed look at the promises and dangers of technology in a rapidly changing global environment.
Let’s pray Magnifica Humanitas has as great and lasting effect as its predecessor.