Pope Leo XIV says AI must serve humanity, not the powerful few

https://religionnews.com/2026/05/25/in-his-first-encyclical-pope-leo-xiv-says-ai-must-serve-humanity-not-the-powerful-few/

Comments

redfloatplaneMay 25, 2026, 1:39 PM
Dupe, more or less. https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48265206
dangMay 25, 2026, 8:19 PM
Comments moved thither. Thanks!
tomeMay 25, 2026, 3:07 PM
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nixon_why69May 25, 2026, 3:10 PM
Times have changed in a lot of dimensions. To name 2: 1) we have an AI thing now, and 2) the pope is American and more trustworthy than all of our current top politicians of both parties.

It's not like people are longing for times of papal authority, they're just looking for anyone at all with common sense.

SV_BubbleTimeMay 25, 2026, 3:54 PM
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nixon_why69May 25, 2026, 3:57 PM
Americans have an accent too, you know.
thrownthatwayMay 25, 2026, 3:34 PM
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sznioMay 25, 2026, 3:36 PM
Iran should have a nuke. Might finally bring some peace.
irishcoffeeMay 25, 2026, 4:25 PM
Wishing nuclear holocaust on the world was also a view that was abhorrent in this site 15 years ago.
adolphMay 25, 2026, 3:25 PM
> more trustworthy than all of our current top politicians of both parties.

Big if true. Has he addressed the previous rug sweeps about clerical child abuse?

wklaussMay 25, 2026, 3:29 PM
Yes: https://www.reuters.com/world/pope-leo-tells-catholic-bishop...
adolphMay 25, 2026, 5:28 PM
Thanks, sounds reasonable
asveikauMay 25, 2026, 4:32 PM
15 years ago it was Pope Benedict, who was a pretty different figure. I can speak only for myself, but I would have had more cynicism about him than I would for Francis or Leo.
dist-epochMay 25, 2026, 4:52 PM
That past HN user would be more shocked that Chrome is not considered the second coming of Jesus anymore, to keep the religious theme.
booleandilemmaMay 25, 2026, 3:30 PM
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shermantanktopMay 25, 2026, 4:19 PM
Speculating, without evidence, that hidden forces are suppressing ideas that you prefer is low-value noise IMO.
booleandilemmaMay 25, 2026, 4:27 PM
Who said hidden forces? It's the capitalist overlords who are hellbent on replacing us humans with their machine laborers.

For evidence, you only have to look at the mass of flagged and downvoted anti-AI comments on this site.

It's not a hidden force at all, they're quite open about it.

tomhowMay 25, 2026, 7:05 PM
Please don't post grandiose conspiracy theories like this on HN. All kinds of criticism of AI is posted all the time on HN. Comments are downvoted or flagged if users disagree with them or if they break the guidelines. If you see anything that's flagged unfairly, you can vouch for it or email us (hn@ycombinator.com) to point it out.
ThrowawayR2May 25, 2026, 4:05 PM
Comments about flagging/downvoting and brigading are not permitted by the HN guidelines linked at the bottom of the page.
booleandilemmaMay 25, 2026, 4:26 PM
Are you the HN police? Lol.
throw838rjrjrrjMay 25, 2026, 3:25 PM
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regusMay 25, 2026, 3:34 PM
Please cite sources for those claims.
canelonesdeverdMay 25, 2026, 3:47 PM
>and defends abortion before and after birth

abortion after birth? as in, killing a newborm baby? what are you even talking about

throejd94mrdjMay 25, 2026, 3:52 PM
Like defending people who dump babies into bins? Or throw them into river? Because it is not murder at all!
canelonesdeverdMay 25, 2026, 4:18 PM
You are beyond mentally ill. Seek professional help because you are losing touch with reality.
thrownthatwayMay 25, 2026, 3:29 PM
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fthepopeMay 25, 2026, 3:58 PM
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WarmWashMay 25, 2026, 2:02 PM
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KptMarchewaMay 25, 2026, 3:26 PM
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SV_BubbleTimeMay 25, 2026, 4:01 PM
I’m not going to be contented until I can get Ja’s take on if LLMs even have the slightest potential to be an engine behind artificial general intelligence. Or that they definitely won’t be but the ideas that will come from layering and transformers will be vital for example.
Pay08May 25, 2026, 3:21 PM
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throwuxiytayqMay 25, 2026, 2:32 PM
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mrKolaMay 25, 2026, 2:38 PM
He is right. Why should you not listen to him?
Pay08May 25, 2026, 3:34 PM
I'll listen to him when he has materially acknowledged the horrors the Church did and continues to do and dismantles the institutions responsible for those horrors.
throwuxiytayqMay 25, 2026, 3:22 PM
He’s not even right about whether god exists, and that’s literally his job. Why should I assume he’s competent about anything else?
magic_hamsterMay 25, 2026, 3:01 PM
In my way of life, the idea that people follow and care deeply about what some mullah has to say is very foreign. There's a mass of these people though. Their life must be so incredibly different than mine, it's just hard to fathom. I can't even imagine caring about the Pope or what they have to say. In my imagination the Pope is something out of roman times, it's just so weird this still exists today.
thrownthatwayMay 25, 2026, 4:12 PM
> mullah

Nope. Straight to hell. Do not pass ‘Go’, do not collect 200 virgins.

magic_hamsterMay 25, 2026, 5:04 PM
I don't see any value discussing which set of rules and outcomes is better because it's all nonsense.

To be honest, I did have some very in depth conversations with religious friends, and it was enlightening. I am convinced that for them, it has some benefits.

But I know all this stuff is totally made up, so even if you can channel it to a good thing, I personally can never do it. And even though I won't say this to their face, part of me thinks, how can you believe this stuff.

thrownthatwayMay 25, 2026, 7:35 PM
You know?

You have incontrovertible evidence that it is all made up?

You see, what Dennis Prager said is true: if you don’t believe in God, you don’t believe in nothing, believe in anything.

fHrMay 25, 2026, 2:34 PM
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dontfeedthemacMay 25, 2026, 2:56 PM
because he is right and he is more for the people than the dumb shit you spew out of your mouth
jaybrendansmithMay 25, 2026, 3:02 PM
Have you actually read it? It is not a boring take. It's actually the best thing I've read on moral philosophy in quite some time. I suggest you take the time to read it.
chasd00May 25, 2026, 1:38 PM
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triceratopsMay 25, 2026, 2:07 PM
Yeah so? That's not really "news" anyway.
SecretDreamsMay 25, 2026, 2:02 PM
I'm sure most of the elite probably hold similarly wonky views.
criddellMay 25, 2026, 2:03 PM
In other news? Why not talk about this news? Do you disagree with the Pope?
ArdrenMay 25, 2026, 2:08 PM
> Do you disagree with the Pope?

Yes I do. I don't think you a prayer can literally transform wine into blood. How about you?

criddellMay 25, 2026, 6:03 PM
I was talking about his take on AI. He didn't bring up the blood thing at all.
krzykMay 25, 2026, 2:10 PM
You do know it is not literal transformation?
ArdrenMay 25, 2026, 2:12 PM
It's actually is a literal transformation (and only a Catholic thing)

https://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/arch...

283

> Transubstantiation means the change of the whole substance of bread into the substance of the Body of Christ and of the whole substance of wine into the substance of his Blood. This change is brought about in the eucharistic prayer through the efficacy of the word of Christ and by the action of the Holy Spirit. However, the outward characteristics of bread and wine, that is the “eucharistic species”, remain unaltered.

geerlingguyMay 25, 2026, 2:50 PM
There's an important distinction between the 'substance' and the 'accidents' (outward characteristics), that matters a lot in Catholic theology.

Some deeper discussion around Aquinas' philosophy on the difference: https://iep.utm.edu/thomas-aquinas-metaphysics/#H4

But I'd say any Catholic who believes in the Eucharist would admit, yeah, it's a bit of an odd thing, especially by today's standards, to consume the blood of a sacrificed animal.

cyanydeezMay 25, 2026, 1:46 PM
Presidents through out American history has believed various forms of genocide and slavery were applicable practices to modern problems; hell the current president thinks variously incredulous things.

So you know, you might want to adjust your measuring stick before you critique people.

dylan604May 25, 2026, 1:59 PM
Both things can be true at the same time, so shutting down the critique (possibly because it is critiquing something you like??) just because another critique can be made is not a good counter argument
watwutMay 25, 2026, 2:01 PM
In that case, the Pope does not believe "wine turns to blood if you say things to it."

That claims is, very simply, a lie.

ArdrenMay 25, 2026, 2:06 PM
It's actually litterally true.

https://www.vatican.va/archive/compendium_ccc/documents/arch...

283

> Transubstantiation means the change of the whole substance of bread into the substance of the Body of Christ and of the whole substance of wine into the substance of his Blood. This change is brought about in the eucharistic prayer through the efficacy of the word of Christ and by the action of the Holy Spirit. However, the outward characteristics of bread and wine, that is the “eucharistic species”, remain unaltered.

Edit: It's a catholic thing, and it's very silly (other denominations say its symbolic)

watwutMay 25, 2026, 4:45 PM
And that quote is not the same thing as was written originally. Explicitely hedges and ends with clear "wont have that taste, wont get you drunk".

The simplification in the original in fact imploed that.

dylan604May 25, 2026, 4:58 PM
This is not the only part of Catholicism that is not written originally, but even "originally written" is difficult.
totobrechiMay 25, 2026, 1:55 PM
Lets not forget the hideous acts that this church has commited against young men and children in america. This would the last place I'd accept leadership advise from.

This message is not focused on u.s or its presidents. Its focused on leadership world wide.

SecretDreamsMay 25, 2026, 2:05 PM
The people best suited to give advice on how AI should be used, distributed, and controlled are probably those disconnected from the profit structure of AI.
cyanydeezMay 25, 2026, 11:20 PM
hard out for rhe trump adminstration.
gordian-mindMay 25, 2026, 1:53 PM
Not every conversation is about Trump, is it possible to stop this?
SecretDreamsMay 25, 2026, 2:06 PM
I think the whole world would like to stop talking about Trump.
gordian-mindMay 25, 2026, 3:24 PM
He got elected, get over it.
SecretDreamsMay 25, 2026, 4:36 PM
World doesn't seem over it yet. Like Brexit and plenty of other poor choices the various electorates of the world have previously done.
gordian-mindMay 25, 2026, 5:12 PM
It's your point of view that those were bad choices. Why pretend otherwise?
cyanydeezMay 25, 2026, 11:26 PM
dead people, historically, lack a POV
SecretDreamsMay 25, 2026, 5:58 PM
Well, you're hearing people talk about them still for a reason buddy. Nobody talks about good news.
lcnPylGDnU4H9OFMay 25, 2026, 4:45 PM
More to the point, "it" is not the fact of his election but the fact of his policy decisions, which are ongoing. Of course the world is still talking about that.
watwutMay 25, 2026, 5:33 PM
And that is why he is talked about - because he is massively damaging powerful presence. And yes people who voted for him looked forwards to have fun watching the damage.

Trump was always attention sucking drama queen. So yes, voting for him is a vote to have Trump in news worldwide.

miningapeMay 25, 2026, 1:57 PM
inb4 "EvERyTHing Is PolItiKz"
boxedMay 25, 2026, 1:57 PM
Their excuse was that they lived a long time ago when people were idiots. What's the popes excuse today?
ArdrenMay 25, 2026, 2:00 PM
> Presidents through out American history has believed various forms of genocide and slavery were applicable practices to modern problems; hell the current president thinks variously incredulous things.

And we shouldn't criticize them? Is that the point?

krappMay 25, 2026, 1:59 PM
Both American presidents and Abrahamic faiths have, historically, justified slavery and genocide (and often by the same pretense.)

And the current President's ridiculous beliefs are just as ridiculous as believing in transubstantiation. Believing angels manifest on Earth and intercede in human affairs is no more rational believing that aliens are manifesting on Earth but are really demons, which Catholic VP JD Vance believes. The former is just more culturally accepted, and thus given the weight of dignity, but both are valid as far as a naive and literalist interpretation of the Bible is concerned, because demons exist in the Bible, but not aliens.

Either way, as much as the Pope is a silly man in a silly hat looking like a fucking wizard who is required to believe in supernatural nonsense while leading a corrupt den of pedophiles, he's also absolutely and objectively correct on this specific topic and it's clear he's put far more researched thought into his opinions on AI than 99% of people on HN. Hell, he even apologized for the Church's historical support of slavery, and many people here won't even concede that slavery was ever a problem.

totobrechiMay 25, 2026, 2:26 PM
The only significance here with history is we don't repeat it. There is no reason ever concede anything. Its akin to dwelling on indians introducing americans to tobacco. No group of people in the future should be judge on peoples beliefs or indiscretions. There is no connection.
thrownthatwayMay 25, 2026, 4:02 PM
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krappMay 25, 2026, 5:04 PM
You folks really do play to type sometimes.
krungerMay 25, 2026, 2:01 PM
[dead]
synergy20May 25, 2026, 3:32 PM
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nba456_May 25, 2026, 3:07 PM
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tyjenMay 25, 2026, 3:42 PM
Yes and people who use it for dominating industries and markets out of pure greed have the potential displace and disenfranchise large swaths of the population. The possibility to tier society into people with full access to AI and people with severely limited access binding them with significant permanent disadvantages.

You don't have to agree with everything to Pope stands for to understand the potential dark paths AI could lead humanity to.

SV_BubbleTimeMay 25, 2026, 4:02 PM
> Yes and people who use [AI] for dominating industries and markets

Uh, who?

Smoke of course; but did you find fire?

jungturkMay 25, 2026, 3:15 PM
Wouldn't your claim be consistent with the Pope's request? Why would he be unhappy about that?
add-sub-mul-divMay 25, 2026, 4:30 PM
100% of the knowledge was already available, and without the need to be logged in to an account to be tracked.