Pope Leo XIV’s AI encyclical urges joint governance
Get the Tech newsletter
Daily tech — startups, AI labs, chips, the launches that shape the next decade. Free.
- Pope Leo XIV issued the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas on artificial intelligence, declaring “Technology is never neutral.”
- Magnifica Humanitas likens AI’s impact to the biblical Tower of Babel, warning against growth detached from moral concern.
- Jerusalem’s post‑conflict rebuilding, as described in the Book of Nehemiah, is presented as a model of collaborative responsibility.
- US Federal Trade is mentioned after noting that there is no AI safety board, highlighting the regulatory gap.
Why it matters: Investors and civil society gain a moral framework to demand AI governance, while unchecked corporate power loses the illusion of autonomy; the encyclical’s endorsement of joint oversight aligns with existing shareholder activism.
