During a significant moment in his papacy, Pope Leo XIV expressed concerns about artificial intelligence in his first major written encyclical. He outlined the most alarming aspects of AI, including job displacement, military escalation, and environmental exploitation. Present at the Vatican ceremony celebrating the release of this papal teaching was Chris Olah, co-founder of Anthropic, a leading AI startup, which makes his attendance notable given the technology's potential to amplify the issues the pope addressed.
Olah's presence prompts a vital inquiry: how can the Catholic Church collaborate with a prominent AI enterprise when the products of that enterprise threaten the very ideals that the pope advocates for? In particular, the encyclical emphasizes the importance of protecting the dignity of human labor, a concern that many major AI firms, such as Anthropic, seem to overlook, according to Pete Furlong from the Center for Humane Technology. He argues that the technological advancements pursued by these companies are inherently at odds with the principles of human dignity.
The concern is acute for specific occupations—like programmers, customer service agents, and data-entry clerks—that are particularly susceptible to automation, as noted in a labor market analysis by Anthropic. A recent survey by the nonprofit Epoch AI revealed that 20% of full-time U.S. workers are already experiencing job encroachments by AI. Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, has expressed serious concerns about the potential for widespread job loss in white-collar sectors in the near future.
Critics suggest that Anthropic's collaboration with the Vatican may merely project a benign narrative without promoting deep change, a phenomenon some refer to as “Vatican-washing.” This viewpoint is shared by Paolo Carozza, a law professor and co-chair of the Meta Oversight Board, who points out that while Anthropic aims to distinguish itself by engaging with ethical voices, such alliances must not substitute for accountability and introspection. Carozza believes that dialogue is crucial, advocating for a cooperative relationship rather than a confrontational one.
Furlong concurs with this viewpoint, perceiving the intersection of Pope Leo's message and Anthropic's positioning as potentially constructive. He notes that grappling with the conflicting narratives could lead to meaningful engagement that holds AI companies accountable, especially given the economic pressures they face.
In his remarks, Olah acknowledged that every AI lab operates under a complex set of incentives that may deter ethical action. He stated, "No matter how sincerely any of us intend to do the right thing—and I believe many of us do—we will always be influenced by those incentives."
Some AI safety advocates, like Timnit Gebru, have argued that the pope did not fully confront the detrimental impacts of AI. Gebru labeled the collaboration as a form of “Vatican-washing,” suggesting that the church should support grassroots movements fighting for worker rights rather than aligning with powerful tech companies.
Nevertheless, the encyclical and Anthropic do share common ground on certain critical issues. For example, both the church and the company agree on the ethical implications of utilizing AI in warfare, with Leo advocating for stringent ethical guidelines to safeguard human life. Amodei has publicly resisted allowing the U.S. government to employ Anthropic’s AI models in fully autonomous weapon systems, leading to a contentious fallout with the government.
Moreover, while Anthropic promotes ethical AI practices, it faces scrutiny due to its extensive lobbying efforts—outpacing competitors like OpenAI—aimed at influencing AI regulations.
Embedded within Leo's lengthy encyclical is a gentle critique regarding the environmental costs of data centers that support AI advancements. The pope highlighted the staggering energy and water consumption associated with current AI infrastructures, calling for sustainable innovations to mitigate their ecological impact.
In the U.S., the proliferation of data centers has faced backlash due to concerns about emissions and rising energy bills. Despite the growth demands, Anthropic is committed to minimizing the impact of its operations, including pledging to cover rising electricity costs and developing systems to reduce energy consumption during peak periods. However, the company's ambitious plans, such as a $50 billion investment in AI infrastructure, could potentially clash with the pope’s calls for a more sustainable future.
