Pope Leo XIV issued an encyclical focused on safeguarding the human person amid artificial intelligence. The document links AI risks to longstanding problems such as inequality, war, and democratic erosion. It argues that technology designed and controlled by a small elite cannot serve the common good. Concentrated power becomes opaque and avoids public oversight, leading to dependencies, exclusions, manipulations, and inequalities. AI is said to amplify the advantages of those with economic resources, expertise, and data access, enabling elites to shape information, consumption, democratic processes, and economic dynamics. The encyclical calls for clear criteria and effective oversight with participation from affected communities, and it urges ending the AI arms race driven by pursuit of geopolitical or commercial dominance.
"“When such power is concentrated in the hands of a few, it tends to become opaque and evade public oversight, increasing the risk of distorted forms of development that give rise to new dependencies, exclusions, manipulations and inequalities,” he writes."
"“In fact, as with every major technological shift, AI tends to amplify the power of those who already possess economic resources, expertise and access to data,” the encyclical continues, highlighting concerns that elites can use their power to “shape information and consumption patterns, influence democratic processes and steer economic dynamics to their own advantage.”"
"Pope Leo called for AI to be guided by “clear criteria and effective oversight” grounded in participation from communities that will be affected by it. More concretely, Leo called for an end to the AI arms race “for ever more powerful algorithms and larger datasets” that companies and countries believe will “secure geopolitical or commercial dominance.”"
#artificial-intelligence #ethics-and-human-dignity #democratic-oversight #power-concentration #ai-arms-race
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