Anthropic · Donald Trump · TechCrunch AI
The pope’s AI encyclical isn’t really about AI
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Pope Leo XIV published his first encyclical on Monday.
Key facts
- Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 Rerum Novarum addressed the same concentration of power during the Industrial Revolution, but they needn’t look back that far
- Throughout the 200-page document, which the pope presented alongside Chris Olah, co-founder of AI company Anthropic, Leo argues that technology built and governed by a small elite cannot
- Pope Leo called for AI to be guided by “clear criteria and effective oversight” rooted in participation from communities that will be affected by it
- Pope Leo XIV published his first encyclical on Monday
Summary
Throughout the 200-page document, which the pope presented alongside Chris Olah, co-founder of AI company Anthropic, Leo argues that technology built and governed by a small elite cannot, by definition, serve the common good. “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” rooted in participation from communities that will be affected by it.