Citing Gandalf, Pope Leo says we must “disarm” artificial intelligence

With Anthropic’s co-founder at his side today in Rome, Pope Leo It calls for the “demilitarization” of artificial intelligence to serve the greater good.

Liu admits that “the word is powerful,” but he deliberately chose the language of “disarmament” because “this moment needs words capable of attracting attention, awakening consciences, and pointing to paths forward for humanity.” Today, artificial intelligence must be freed from the logic that turns it into a tool for control, exclusion, and death.

The 40,000-word encyclical contains relentless criticism of AI-powered autonomous weapons, neocolonial attitudes toward data collection, and the hoarding of “new forms of ownership, such as patents, algorithms, digital platforms, technological infrastructure, and data.”

But the message goes beyond criticism, updating Catholic social teaching in a way that invites everyone to “construct” — the preferred term of the Silicon Valley elite. (See venture capitalist Marc Andreessen’s famous 2020 article “Time to Build.”)

But in Liu’s vision, this “construction” extends beyond programming, startups, factories or housing. He calls for nothing less than the creation of a “civilization of love” in which everyone works for the common good within the sphere of their own lives, and where technology does not dominate, exclude or transcend humanity, but rather serves and enhances it.

That’s why, even though it was issued today, Liu actually signed the encyclical on May 15, the anniversary of the publication of a famous 1891 encyclical called New Things. That ancient document defined Catholic social teaching during an era of capitalist turmoil, and largely sided with workers and trade unions. Today, Liu is updating the Church’s social teaching for the age of artificial intelligence, which he sees as “New precision Of our time.”

This new thing

As his predecessor did 135 years ago, Liu warns that individual human beings and humanity itself should not be left behind by technological advances or new forms of power. He is clear-eyed about the influence that technological elites have today, comparing them to colonial invaders.