Facing the AI challenge, Leo XIV is asking, ‘What does it mean to be human?’

The eyes of the world will be on Rome this week, as Pope Leo XIV personally participates in the presentation of his first major teaching document.

Titled Magnifica Humanitas, the encyclical letter is dedicated to thinking through the challenges of artificial intelligence (AI) through the lens of the Church’s centuries-long reflection on human nature.

To say this papal encyclical is highly anticipated is an understatement.

Even if the rise of AI were not already commanding global attention, Leo has said the Church must address the implications of the rise of AI and has promised to bring his office to bear on the task.

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It is good he has got to it when he has, because time is moving fast.

Computing power was increasing geometrically before the dawn of AI and it isn’t slowing down, with radical changes in economy, finance, education – virtually every area of life – either already being felt or else looming large on the horizon.

That’s only one of the reasons it is more than a little interesting that Christopher Olah – the co-founder of the AI enterprise Anthropic – will be with Pope Leo when