How the Pope’s Magnifica Humanitas offers a template for individuals to meet the AI moment | MIT Technology Review

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Skip to ContentMIT Technology ReviewFeaturedTopicsNewslettersEventsAudioMIT Technology ReviewFeaturedTopicsNewslettersEventsAudioOpinionHow the Pope’s Magnifica Humanitas offers a template for individuals to meet the AI momentDespite a lack of regulation, we still have the ability to steer artificial intelligence in ways that can benefit our common humanity.
By Séamus Finnarchive pageSusan Francoisarchive pageMay 29, 2026Basilica of the Sagrada Familia Barcelona, SpainAP Photo/Emilio Morenatti Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical on artificial intelligence includes a statement that warrants serious attention from technologists and policymakers: “Technology is never neutral.” Magnifica Humanitas (“Magnificent Humanity”) is a clarion call to all people to act with courage and solidarity as we enter an age already being transformed by artificial intelligence, the greatest change in human life since the Industrial Revolution. As the pope says, the choice before us—the choice AI presents—is one between the Tower of Babel and the rebuilding of our common humanity.  In the biblical story of the Tower of Babel, humans sought to build a massive structure that reached all the way to Heaven, only to have their project thwarted when God made those involved unable to understand one another. It was a pursuit fixated on relentless growth, divorced from any concern about God’s commandments or the human cost. It resulted in failure and atomization. The Book of Nehemiah, however, offers a contrasting narrative, in which the rebuilding of Jerusalem after a period of violence and displacement becomes an opportunity for humanity to show its collaborative resilience. As the encyclical puts it, “The city is reborn, not through the initiative of one man, but through the shared responsibility of all: men, women, priests, artisans, heads of households and young people all play a part. It is an undertaking with God at the center, which rebuilds relationships before rebuilding with stones.”  Is there any question which road we are currently barreling down? And can there be any doubt which we would do well to walk together?  We are both Catholics, members of religious communities and longtime advocates within the movement for socially responsible investment. Of particular interest to us and that movement is Pope Leo’s point that AI is not some force of nature or hyperrational, ineffable entity. Instead, he reminds us, AI is ultimately another commercial product, one emerging at a point in history when excessive power over commerce and the wider society has amassed in a vanishingly small number of hands. 
It’s a powerful message. It’s also one that institutional investors have been acting on for years. This encyclical doesn’t break new ground so much as ratify a governance effort that’s already underway, led not by states or international bodies but by shareholders. When governments fail to meaningfully regulate, and corporations cannot be trusted to do what is beneficial beyond their own bottom line, people in society still have the power to set us on the right path, and indeed have the duty to do so.  Around the world, AI systems are being deployed at scale with remarkably little institutional oversight. There is no AI safety board. The US Federal Trade Commission has jurisdiction over unfair practices but limited authority over algorithmic design. The National Institute of Standards and Technology publishes guidance that most companies ignore. The EU AI Act is partially in force but addresses only a sliver of the deployment surface.
Institutional investors have stepped into this vacuum. Coalitions including the membership of the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, representing investors managing over $400 billion in assets, have spent the past several proxy seasons filing resolutions demanding transparency, risk assessment, and accountability around AI deployment. Secular institutional investors have joined them, treating AI governance failures as material business risks. Shareholders have called tech giants including Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia, Palantir, and Uber to account and demanded that AI not be used for acts of violence or other violations of human rights. The importance of this aspect of corporate governance was highlighted tragically in the opening hours of the war against Iran, when AI was used to help identify targets for thousands of missile strikes that killed hundreds of people.   Investors have also challenged executives at CVS and UnitedHealth Group to ensure that AI not be used to undermine the well-being of patients and quality of health care across the United States.  At companies including Meta and Microsoft, shareholders have decried the environmental impact of AI data centers, which consume vast amounts of energy and precious water resources, and in turn can emit large amounts of greenhouse gases.  Within creative industries, investors have challenged the leadership at companies like Disney, Netflix, and Warner Bros. to demand transparency about the ways they are using AI and to defend the inimitable human element in storytelling.  Soon, with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Grok all set to enter the public markets, we will be able to exert similar influence over what are now all privately held entities. These actions by concerned investors not only call out misdeeds but hold fast to an immutable truth: that it is wrong to use technology to kill, harm, or oppress people. Every human being has a right to safe and effective health care and the opportunity to earn a dignified living. The stories we tell each other matter and require the human creative spark.  Investor advocates hail from a range of faith traditions. Some have no formal religious faith. Yet in their informed and tenacious advocacy, all these people echo the calls embedded within Pope Leo’s encyclical and act on its declaration that “it is essential that the use of AI, especially when it touches on public goods and fundamental rights, be guided by clear criteria and effective oversight.” 

Encyclicals mark time. A century from now, how will we be remembered for how we met this moment? Will we be seen as having been too timid or shortsighted to prevent a small group of unfathomably wealthy and self-interested people from seizing ever greater control over the human family’s shared destiny?  Or will the years ahead be remembered as a turning point that helped us rebuild our common humanity? Let this be a time when people of good will and diverse talents come together through their own magnificent humanity to build a future that honors our Creator. Father Séamus Finn, OMI, is a global leader in faith-based and socially responsible investing and a priest of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate, a missionary religious congregation. Sister Susan Francois is the assistant congregation leader and congregation treasurer for the Sisters of St. Joseph of Peace. by Séamus Finn & Susan FrancoisShareShare story on linkedinShare story on facebookShare story on emailPopularWant to understand the current state of AI? Check out these charts.Michelle Kim10 Things That Matter in AI Right NowAmy NordrumInside the stealthy startup that pitched brainless human clonesAntonio RegaladoMusk v. Altman week 1: Elon Musk says he was duped, warns AI could kill us all, and admits that xAI distills OpenAI’s modelsMichelle KimDeep DiveArtificial intelligenceWant to understand the current state of AI? Check out these charts.According to Stanford’s 2026 AI Index, AI is sprinting, and we’re struggling to keep up.
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Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical on artificial intelligence introduces the concept of Magnifica Humanitas, which serves as a framework for individuals to respond to the current age defined by artificial intelligence, emphasizing the necessity of courage and solidarity in navigating this transformation. The encyclical posits that technology is inherently not neutral, demanding a profound reflection on the choices presented by AI. This choice is framed as a dichotomy between the pursuit of relentless, atomizing growth, symbolized by the Tower of Babel narrative, and the collaborative resilience of rebuilding common humanity, as illustrated by the story of Nehemiah, which stresses that societal reconstruction requires the shared responsibility of all members, rather than the initiative of a single entity.

The encyclical reframes the nature of artificial intelligence, arguing that it is not an autonomous, ineffable force but rather another commercial product that emerges from concentrated power over commerce and society. This perspective suggests that governance over AI is not solely the purview of states or international bodies, but rather a duty that resides with the people themselves. This idea is reinforced by the observation that when governmental structures fail to regulate effectively, and corporations prioritize self-interest over societal benefit, individuals possess the power and duty to steer technological development toward ethical outcomes.

This governance vacuum has created a space where institutional investors have taken a leading role in shaping AI oversight. Coalitions, including those representing large asset managers, have actively sought transparency, risk assessment, and accountability regarding AI deployment. These investors have integrated concerns about AI governance failures into their assessment of material business risks. Practically, this involvement has manifested through shareholder actions targeting major technology corporations, demanding that they ensure AI is not utilized for harmful purposes, such as in military applications or undermining public health and well-being. Examples include challenging entities like Alphabet, Amazon, Meta, Microsoft, Disney, and Netflix concerning the environmental impact of AI data centers and the preservation of the human element in creative endeavors.

This movement of investor advocacy, spanning various faith traditions, echoes the principles established by Pope Leo XIV, advocating that the use of AI, particularly concerning public goods and fundamental rights, must be guided by clear criteria and effective oversight. By holding corporations accountable for their technological practices, these advocates assert an immutable truth: the deployment of technology must uphold the rights to safe healthcare and a dignified living for all, preserving the human creative spark. Ultimately, the encyclical calls for a future where individuals, united by their shared humanity and diverse talents, collaborate to construct a future that honors the Creator, moving beyond a focus on unchecked technological growth toward the rebuilding of a shared human destiny.