OBLIQUE OBSERVATIONS
By Atty. Gilberto Lauengco, J.D.
Amidst all the cacophony of recent events, a lot of people probably did not notice an important event, especially for Catholics. Pope Leo XIV issued his very first encyclical entitled Magnifica Humanitas ( “On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence’).
For Catholics, an encyclical is one of the highest and most authoritative forms of teaching or statement a pope can issue. An encyclical is also rare, as in the modern age, popes only average seven encyclicals during their term. For context, Pope Francis issued only four encyclicals and Pope Benedict XVI issued only three. For Pope Leo XIV to issue his first encyclical about Artificial Intelligence shows how serious the Vatican feels about the issue of AI and has elevated the AI issue from a mere trend to a worldwide crisis or emergency.
Several persons, including this writer, have been firing off several articles on AI but this encyclical has seen the church’s unprecedented authority weighing in on the issue. The encyclical addresses what the church views as a disturbing, rapid rise of digital automation, robotics, and artificial intelligence. It reminds us of how, in the 19th century, a landmark text (Rerum Novarum), then Pope Leo XIII, addressed the Industrial Revolution.
The church had now made the issue of AI a serious flash point for several possible dangers to humanity. In addition, the presentation of the said document was done not just by church officials but with Silicon Valley and AI industry experts, including Cristopher Olah, the co-founder of the artificial safety company Anthropic, which lent more credence to the fact that this document was well-guided.
The papal encyclical contained many points but for my first article on this historic document, I would focus on certain aspects. First, the encyclical pointed out the widespread effect on human labor or employment. It exhorts governments to implement contingency measures for the eventual labor displacement due to AI. For years we have been warned that many jobs even here in our country will be rendered obsolete by AI and automation. Our country’s Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) industries are at the highest risk of AI displacement, and with this sector employing a large portion of our workforce this is a very serious threat. The encyclical has emphasized that work is a fundamental element of human dignity and that allowing unmitigated displacement would be a social calamity.
Second, the encyclical warns of the dangers of unregulated AI and its impact on societies. The encyclical used the biblical tale of the Tower of Babel where a profit-driven tech society would eliminate human diversity. The document also warned of dehumanization by AI.
This papal document is a wake-up call for all concerned. Hand in hand with the DICT and other government agencies, our industry and educational establishment must answer the call of the Catholic Church on the dangers of AI. We have been warned, and we need to speed up and step up to the plate. Skynet is coming.
I will bring more insights next week.
