Why are Catholic social teachings and the encyclicals important as they relate to artificial intelligence and emerging technology?
Think Joseph Cardijn if he were sitting with you today
Q: Why are Catholic social teachings and the encyclicals important as they relate to artificial intelligence and emerging technology?
A: They provide a moral framework and ethical guidelines to address the greater good.
Documents such as encyclicals, Vatican II documents, and writings of theologians emphasize the importance of responsible AI use, guiding policymakers, companies, and international bodies in serving the common good.
Think of an analogy or metaphor: Think AI is like what fire was to humans. It was a good thing. It gave humans light and warmth, but it also brought destruction and darkness into their lives. Over time, humans learned to manage fire for the greater good. This is what needs to happen with AI. And Catholic Social Teaching can provide that framework.
AI is accelerating developments in science, engineering, and physics. As a result, we can anticipate rapid advancements in technology, products, and services. In education, tasks historically performed by human intelligence are likely to become automated, depending on the pace of technological development and implementation.
Any response to AI can draw on a strong foundation in Catholic social teaching and specific documents, such as Pope Leo XIII’s 1891 encyclical “Rerum Novarum,” which addressed capital and labor in the context of emerging industrial technologies and offers guidance that can inspire your digital innovation efforts.
The tradition of Catholic social teaching began as a response to the Industrial Revolution. But the key was that it was grounded in scripture and in the early understanding of the gospel. It’s not just Catholic teaching on society; we need to reframe our minds and begin to understand that Catholic social teaching is a response to technology as a whole, for the greater good of humanity.