Pope Leo Schooled the Tech Bros on Tolkien

Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, “Magnifica humanitas,” cites saints and previous pontiffs while focusing on safeguarding the human person in the age of artificial intelligence. The letter warns about the growing dominance of a technocratic paradigm that can reduce creation to an object of exploitation and human beings to mere cogs in systems driven by efficiency. It compares the rise of AI to the Industrial Revolution and draws on teachings associated with Pope Leo XIII, emphasizing workers’ rights and dignity during technological upheaval. The encyclical presents a skeptical stance toward AI and raises concerns about the motives of tech oligarchs pursuing artificial general intelligence beyond human capabilities.

"Leo's letter is concerned with "safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence," a major theme of his first year as leader of the Catholic Church. Drawing from his predecessor, Pope Francis, he warns of "the growing dominance of a technocratic paradigm," one capable of "reducing creation to an object of exploitation and human beings to mere cogs in a system driven toward ever greater efficiency.""

"He again compares the rise of AI to the Industrial Revolution that spanned from the mid-18th century to the beginning of the 20th, alluding to the teachings of his namesake, Pope Leo XIII, who in his own 1891 encyclical asserted the importance of workers' rights and dignity during a time of technological upheaval and burgeoning capitalist empire."

"The lengthy text further solidifies Leo's stance as an AI skeptic. But the Tolkien nod is particularly salient given some backward interpretations of Middle-earth mythology by right-wing billionaires like Peter Thiel and Elon Musk, which have long been ridiculed by other Lord of the Rings fans. One might even think Leo is trolling."

"Clearly, the pope is somewhat concerned about the motives of tech oligarchs racing to develop artificial general intelligence that surpasses human capabilities. Do they really dream of using this tool to cure diseases and solve climate change, or are they building engines of limitless profit and cultural dominance? It's when he addresses our personal responsibility in challenging such dark forces that Leo borrows an insight from T"

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