Pope Francis on AI: History Repeats, Ethical Quandaries Resurface

Pope Francis's call for respecting human dignity in the age of AI echoes Pope Leo XIII's 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed the social upheaval of the Industrial Revolution. Leo XIII condemned the exploitation of workers in horrific factory conditions. He rejected both unchecked capitalism and socialism, proposing Catholic social doctrine to uphold workers' rights. Similarly, AI now threatens employment and human dignity, prompting Pope Francis to advocate for the Church's moral leadership in navigating these new challenges, defending human dignity, justice, and labor rights.