Leo XIV
I’ve been reading the new papal encyclical on AI. It’s surprisingly good.
The Church’s stated concern is not AI technology as such, but who controls the ethical vision embedded in it. As Leo XIV puts it, a more moral AI is not enough if that morality is determined by just a few people, especially people that clearly don’t embody their ethical vision.
Remember, ethics is just other people’s morals.
I find myself in complete agreement with the Vatican, which I did not see coming.
The document is architecturally formidable – based on 2000 years of internally consistent citations, every era covered, every pope contributing a brick. Try rebutting that.
He built his case from the year nought, all the way through to year AI. In the process you can see exactly how they’ve shaped humanity. Mostly two steps towards and then one back. But they’ve doggedly stuck at it even when their own organisation got “Trumped”.
I don’t buy the metaphysics (ghosts and imaginary friends, etc) but an institution with this track record and apparent genuine concern for the powerless is a useful thing.
They should build a secular membership system. Sign me up.
offshore westerly 