Pope Leo XIV's AI encyclical warns 'technology is never neutral'

Pope Leo XIV's new encyclical 'Magnifica Humanitas' delivers a stark message for technologists and policymakers: 'Technology is never neutral.' It frames the current AI moment as a choice between the Tower of Babel—relentless growth divorced from human cost—and the Book of Nehemiah's rebuilding of Jerusalem through shared responsibility. The encyclical reminds us that AI is not a mysterious force but a commercial product, emerging when excessive power over commerce and society sits in very few hands. It urges collective action, not just from governments but from all people of goodwill.

Institutional investors have already stepped into the governance vacuum. Coalitions like the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, representing over $400 billion in assets, have filed shareholder resolutions at tech giants including Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Palantir, and Uber, demanding transparency and human rights safeguards. They've challenged CVS and UnitedHealth to prevent AI from undermining patient care, and called out Meta and Microsoft for the environmental cost of AI data centers. The urgency was tragically illustrated when AI was used to identify targets in missile strikes during the war against Iran, killing hundreds. Investors have also pressed Disney, Netflix, and Warner Bros on AI's impact on creative industries. This encyclical ratifies a governance effort already underway, where shareholders—not just states or corporations—are driving accountability.