Pope Leo XIV has released his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, focusing on the importance of prioritizing human care amidst technological advancement. This significant papal document arrives as the world enters a new technological era dominated by artificial intelligence.
Signed on the anniversary of Rerum Novarum, an encyclical written by Pope Leo XIII about labor during the Industrial Revolution, Magnifica Humanitas addresses what Pope Leo XIV perceives as a critical issue for humanity. The document, containing 42,300 words, is directed at the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics.
Pope Leo XIV highlights key themes in his encyclical, emphasizing the distinction between human intelligence and artificial intelligence. He argues that it is misguided to equate AI systems with human intelligence. These systems, while surpassing human capabilities in speed and computation, are restricted to data processing.
Artificial intelligence lacks human experiences such as emotions, relationships, and responsibilities, which are essential aspects of human life. Despite AI’s rapid advancement and promise as a useful tool, Pope Leo XIV stresses that AI remains fundamentally separate from human nature, no matter how closely it mimics the human mind.