- Two papal visions of industrial upheaval
Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum and its 2022 update, Magnifica Humanitas from Leo XIV, share a bold warning for the makers and deployers of artificial intelligence: they must not let their creations harm workers and communities. These two Catholic popes, separated by over a century, sounded the alarm on industrial power imbalances.
- Worker power and shared ownership
Rerum Novarum called for workers to have a say in the businesses they worked for, and for the government to ensure that companies were fair. The vision was clear: people should not be exploited by those who controlled the means of production. The update, Magnifica Humanitas, emphasizes the importance of workers’ rights and the need for shared ownership, ensuring that benefits and risks are distributed more fairly.
- A warning for Big AI
As G.K. Chesterton and Hilaire Belloc, two influential English writers, argued in the early 20th century, the Catholic vision was not just about workers’ rights – it was also about preventing an overconcentration of power. This warning from the past is eerily relevant today, as Big Tech companies, including those in the AI space, accumulate enormous power and influence.
What this means: the warnings of Leo XIII and Leo XIV serve as a reminder that the development and deployment of AI must not come at the expense of workers and communities. As AI continues to shape our world, policymakers, business leaders, and developers must prioritize fairness, accountability, and the well-being of all stakeholders.
The papal visions may have been more of a call to action than a detailed plan, but they have inspired movements and policies around the world. If the makers and deployers of AI listen to this call, they might just create a future where technology benefits everyone, rather than just the privileged few.
