As an essential component of the practice of our Catholic faith, we belong to the visible and earthly community of the Church established by Jesus and guided by the Holy Spirit through the centuries. As such, we do not believe or pray simply alone with our individual thoughts
and preferences.
Instead, we look to the living Church, even of the past, for how the faith has been and continues to be lived and held. We acknowledge the institutional Church’s guardianship under the Pope, the Successor of St. Peter, as a focal point of unity for our prayer, the celebration of the sacraments and for the application of faith to the changing situations of every era.
It is in that context that on May 25, Pope Leo XIV issued his first encyclical letter entitled Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity). Its subtitle describes its purpose stating: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence. That document is a welcome contribution to living our Catholic faith and to a deeper understanding of some of the strengths and dangers of our contemporary culture.
The document is lengthy. By some counts it is nearly 40,000 words long. But the style of Pope Leo, as we have also seen in his homilies and audiences, is clear and readable. The length is not the result of mere verbosity. Rather, it is needed to deal with the complexity of the topic he is addressing, and which is an evolving reality for us.
The tone of the document reflects that of a good teacher. It is respectful, and fair in its presentation of the issues it deals with and the conflicting ideas of our age. Refreshingly, it does not engage the polemics so poisonously present in modern public and political discourse. In that way it models how a dialogue should be in search of the truth and God’s will.
At the same time, the Holy Father applies to this moment in history the wisdom and faith entrusted to the Church. The first third of the encyclical reminds the world of the contributions to work, family and society that have come from the Church’s social teaching beginning particularly with the pontificate of Pope Leo XIII (1878-1903), which coincided with the social change brought about by the industrial revolution. That contribution has continued and been deepened by the teachings of the last four popes, St. Paul VI, St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI and Francis. All of them are cited liberally by Pope Leo giving an excellent sense of the unity and living teaching of the Church.
At the heart of Pope Leo’s message is what is proclaimed in the title of the encyclical, that is, the dignity of the human person because every human being is made in God’s image and likeness. As a result, respect for the common good, the good of those individuals taken collectively, is the moral obligation of the social order to build a just society.
Pope Leo then focuses his comments on the emerging reality of Artificial Intelligence (AI). He states, “I encourage all members of the Church not to be afraid of the present challenges, but to listen to one another and firmly embrace their responsibilities in building a more human and fraternal order.” (AI, 91). But he urges caution and prudence, keeping human dignity at the center even of the emerging AI.
Among the challenges and concerns about AI, Pope Leo points out that AI is not the same as human intelligence and so cannot supplant it. Human intelligence is linked to the God-given experiences including joy and pain, love, work, relationships and responsibilities. So too, the human reality recognizes and learns from failures and imperfections, and it knows the need and opportunity for mercy.
Artificial Intelligence risks creating a world that seeks a calculated perfection, a theoretical fulfillment of the human situation that is man-made and not in need of God. Additionally, the power of AI is linked to financial resources to create and maintain its virtual infrastructure. In that case, it risks transferring power not simply to government but to smaller financially powerful entities that can be tempted to act in a manner that only seeks to increase financial return.
The result is the possibility of the elimination of current forms of employment which are the source of human fulfillment, and which contribute to the formation and sustenance of families and young people seeking to enter the job market. This also risks exacerbating the separation between rich and poor and, consequently, ignoring the human dignity of those who are perceived as inefficient or not contributing to the technocratic transformation flowing from AI.
Pope Leo also discusses the use of AI for military purposes. He notes “While AI can enhance the defense and protection of civilians, it can also lower the threshold for the use of force, shield people from responsibility and foster a culture in which the enemy is reduced to a statistic and the victim to ‘collateral damage.’” (AI 183).
Magnifica Humanitas is a contribution to the discussion about AI that is very necessary as it rapidly develops. It seeks to place human dignity at the center of the discussion and so correct any dehumanizing elements that may come with AI. And Pope Leo urges that it is important that these considerations be brought forth now, as AI is developing, and not be left for efforts to call for finding a place for human dignity after AI is fully developed, in place and serving the search only for profit and efficiency in the world.
AI is not going to disappear. Pope Leo’s encyclical is urging that its development seeks to make it to be at the service of the human person and creation, not the other way around. We should be grateful to the Holy Father for this important contribution of faith and reason at this important moment.
