Pope Leo in his landmark encyclical Magnifica Humanitas gives us a blueprint of how to live in this technical world now and in the future. With the development of artificial intelligence he sees many possibilities that can add meaning to our lives. However, there are areas that can become very destructive.
Pope Leo states that what we can never lose is our humanity and become less human by having the technological world dictate who we are now and who we might become.
“Rather than speed and fragmentation the human person still yearns to receive care and recognition from attentive minds, kind words, and hearts capable of tenderness. I urge everyone to cherish places and live where physical presence remain crucial such as shared meals, Christian community gatherings, and lives spent in loving and serving the poor. These are signs of humanity” (239 MH)
We cannot afford to lessen our humanity as we use these new resources. Love needs to remain the goal for future progress. All creation God makes out of love, and love is its ultimate purpose.
- Has artificial intelligence played a part in your life?
- If so, how has it helped or hindered your growth in becoming more human?
- What are some positive and negative possibilities of artificial intelligence?
O God, help me become aware of how I want to let AI influence my spirituality.