Caritas Canada

Pope Leo XIV released his very first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas or “Magnificent Humanity.” The encyclical headlines include a discussion of AI, the history of Catholic Social Teaching, peace and in this time of global instability the ever-present need for international development. The encyclical invites us all to celebrate and defend the gifts of human life in a world that more than not demonstrates little value for life and God’s creation. The following is a second excerpt from the encyclical provided by Development & Peace:

The Material Costs of the Digital Age
173. “Nothing in the world of AI is immaterial or magical. Every seemingly immediate and flawless response is the result of a long chain of mediation, involving vast networks of natural resources, energy infrastructure and, above all, people. A significant part of the digital economy’s functioning relies on the silent work of millions of people engaged in essential yet largely unseen activities, such as data labeling, model training and content moderation, often involving disturbing material. In many cases, these workers are young people, predominantly women, working under demanding conditions for minimal wages. Added to this invisible labor is the even harsher work of extracting the resources required for the production of the devices and microprocessors on which AI depends. In some regions of the world, children and adolescents work in dangerous conditions, crushing the materials from which rare earth elements are extracted… If technology promises emancipation, yet produces new forms of global subordination, it stands in contradiction to the fundamental principle of human dignity.”

You can read more on the encyclical by clicking on the following link from the Development and Peace website: https://devp.org/en/magnifica-humanitas-pope-leo-xiv-encyclical/