I WELCOME the timely encyclical letter (an extended letter addressed to all people) of Pope Leo XIV – the first of his pontificate – titled Magnifica Humanitas: On the Protection of the Human Person in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, that was published on May 25.

The contemporary debate about AI is marked not only by rapid technological progress, but a deepening sense of public unease, particularly among white-collar workers, especially the younger ones.

Many professionals – once confident that education and expertise would guarantee stability – now face the unsettling possibility that AI systems can replicate or replace core aspects of their work.

This shift has contributed to a broader climate of distrust, reflected in surveys across the globe showing widespread scepticism about whether AI will truly benefit humanity.

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Yet this distrust is not simply resistance to innovation. It reflects a more fundamental concern: Who is shaping AI, and in whose interests?

When technological development appears to be driven primarily by corporate priorities – efficiency, profit and scale – many people feel excluded from decisions that profoundly affect their lives.

Concerns about job security, social inequality and even environmental sustainability – highlighted by the growing energy demands for AI infrastructure, such as Ireland’s data centres today consuming 22% of national electricity, up from 5% in 2015 – only deepen this unease.

Within this context, Pope Leo’s Magnifica Humanitas offers a way of reorienting the discussion.

A first perusal indicates that rather than focusing on technical details, it proposes a moral framework for evaluating AI – one that speaks directly to the fears, hopes and responsibilities shaping the present moment.

Thus, the Pope writes: “The magnificent humanity created by God stands before a decisive choice: to erect a new Tower of Babel or to build the holy city, where God and humanity dwell together.”

The encyclical’s key........

© The Irish News