Why I'm grateful to the Pope for his encyclical on AI | Francine Prose

Humanity faces a choice between building a new Tower of Babel or creating a city where God and humanity dwell together. The letter traces how prior church leaders viewed labor, authority, government, science, power, and moral obligations to one another, emphasizing defense of human dignity and freedom. It frames technology in terms of dominance and the grandeur of humanity in light of AI’s promises. It defines AI by what it is not: it does not undergo experiences, does not have a body, does not feel joy or pain, does not mature through relationships, and does not know from within what love, work, friendship, or responsibility mean. It also states that AI lacks moral conscience and does not provide guiding concern for the greater human good.

"The encyclical begins with an appropriately biblical reference to the tragic consequences of a breakdown in human communication. Humanity faces a pivotal choice: either to construct a new Tower of Babel or to build a city in which God and humanity dwell together. What follows is a detailed account of the evolution of the views of Pope Leo's predecessors, of the Vatican's ideas about labor, authority, government, science, power and our moral obligation to one another."

"In an eloquent (and most often quoted) passage explaining what AI is not, the pope essentially defines what it means to be human. So-called artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through relationships and do not know from within what love, work, friendship or responsibility mean. AI does not have a moral conscience nor does it show any guiding concern for the greater human good."

"The third chapter, Technology and Dominance. The Grandeur of Humanity in Light of the Promises of AI, delivers on the promise of the encyclical's title. It cites the work that the church has done in defense of human dignity and freedom. The letter proceeds to say the most important and necessary things about what is"

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