Local Bishop reacts to Pope’s stance on Artifical Intelegence
Tyson Beauchemin
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) — The pope recently released a large announcement regarding artificial intelligence, clarifying the church’s position on the emerging technology. But what does it mean to us, living here in Central Oregon?
We spoke to our local Bishop Thomas Hennen, about the pronouncement and asked him about its impact on Catholics and non-Catholics alike.
The letter is called an “Encyclical”. While it’s something every Pope does, they are not something that happens every year. Popes sometimes write these when there’s a transition of power, or a dramatic change in church doctrine. They are often rather lengthy and take a great deal of effort to create. Encyclicals are declarations that cement the church’s official stance on a topic.
And Pope Leo’s stance on AI is less than favorable.
It is the pontiff’s opinion that AI is not simply a morally neutral tool, but rather something that needs to be used with caution and vigilance.
Pope Leo frequently states AI needs to be “disarmed” – not just in a military way, but also in a way that removes its influence from our economy and minds.
The Pope even went on to compare the short-sighted race for profit for AI to the construction of the Tower of Babel.
Here in Central Oregon, Bishop Hennen said this message to his congregation was to reduce reliance on AI for information. He called on people to “…Not to short-circuit the process of life experience and real learning, by just relying or over-relying on AI.”
Bishop Hennen understands that AI has become a part of many people’s daily lives, saying, “And already a lot of us do this right? When we want a quick answer to something, we Google it, or we put something in our phone. For a simple question: fine. You know: ‘What are the store hours of this particular store that I want to go to?’ Okay, great. That’s fantastic. But asking life’s deeper questions? That won’t work. That will not work. ”
Bishop Hennen was excited by the Pope’s Encyclical and was in the process of crafting his own message for his diocese. He says they’ll be making decisions about how AI is used in the parish offices and in Catholic schools.
The Pope’s message is filled with references to Catholic doctrine, but also cites many secular philosophical works, even including ‘The Lord of the Rings.’
It also touches on the vast scope of AI’s impact on our society, from social media to automated weapons of war.
It ends on a message for all humanity: “Cultivate hearts that love the truth,” … “Rather than immediate results.”
The full Encyclical, called “Magnifica Humanitas” can be viewed on the Vatican’s website
Bishop Hennen’s full interview is available on our streaming service, KTVZ+.