Pope Leo XIV, known for his mild demeanor, hails from Chicago and is a White Sox fan. Despite being a year into his papacy, details about him remain sparse. His stance against the war in Iran is one of the few points widely known about him.
Leo’s theological approach is notably mild compared to predecessors like John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Unlike them, he isn’t an academic theologian. He approaches matters with caution and focuses on practical and pastoral concerns. He avoids grand programs, even when addressing pressing issues such as artificial intelligence (AI), which is the focus of his first encyclical letter, “Magnifica Humanitas,” presented recently.
Even among modern papal writings, known for their formal language and lengthy nature, “Magnifica Humanitas” stands out for being particularly restrained. The encyclical mentions Leo’s dismissal of just war theory as outdated. However, this comment is not directly related to AI. The letter suggests AI can be a tool rather than an outright threat to humanity.
The document opens with a reference to the Tower of Babel, a biblical tale symbolizing technological ambition. However, the encyclical seems to miss the primary lesson of the story: that such structures should not be built at all.
The content might appear scattered, with numerous references and quotations that lack impact. Passages from “The Lord of the Rings” and Hannah Arendt appear out of context. There’s a suggestion that Leo could have explored thoughts from contemporary critics of technological advancement like Byung-Chul Han and Anton Jäger, who have published on topics similar to those Leo addresses.
The encyclical does not exude the intensity found in manifestos of radical thinkers. Some might even see it as naïve, especially when compared to the transformative “Rerum Novarum” by Leo XIII, which tackled the Industrial Revolution’s impact in 1891. The presence of Christopher Olah, a founder of an AI firm, at the encyclical’s presentation raised questions. It appeared reminiscent of inviting a major industrialist to discuss labor dignity with Leo XIII.