The arrival of Pope Leo XIV in Spain has stirred a stir that extends far beyond the purely spiritual. Coinciding with his visit, the Vatican has released its first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas , a document that seeks to address the critical issue of how artificial intelligence is shaping our society. Far from being a dry technical manual, this text presents itself as a genuine social manifesto that updates the challenges posed by the Industrial Revolution, but transposes them to the era of algorithms and big data.
The uproar is understandable, given that the Pope hasn't mince words in stating that technology always reflects the character of those who finance and regulate it. In this sense, the encyclical advocates for a renewed humanism where the person always takes precedence over the code. The central idea is clear: we cannot allow efficiency to become the supreme value in our lives, neglecting such fundamental aspects as fragility, mystery, and the very human freedom that defines us as a species.
A key meeting with the social and labor sector in Spain
Taking advantage of his visit, a very interesting meeting took place between the Spanish Episcopate and key players in social dialogue, such as the employers' association CEOE and the major trade unions. The objective was to analyze how this new ethical framework affects the daily lives of Spanish workers . In a context where automation is generating some anxiety about the future of employment, Leo XIV reminded everyone that algorithms are not abstract entities, but tools that can exacerbate inequalities if they are not properly controlled by civil authorities and intermediary actors.
During these talks, the precedent of the Rider Law in Spain was highlighted as an example of how the digital environment can be regulated in a tripartite manner. The Pope insists that the power of large technology companies , the so-called tech oligarchs, should not supersede the sovereignty of states or the rights of citizens. The encyclical proposes applying the principle of subsidiarity, so that decisions affecting local communities are not absorbed by automated systems operating from the coldness of a remote server, integrating proper data governance for companies and organizations.
The danger of cognitive delegation and mental health
One of the points that has resonated most with the public is the warning about the "atrophy" of independent thought. By delegating complex mental tasks to virtual assistants, we risk losing our capacity for critical judgment and patience. The encyclical warns that a real interaction is not the same as a simulation generated by a chatbot. Although these machines may seem very intelligent, they lack a body, life experiences, and, of course, the capacity to feel joy or pain—something fundamental for fully understanding reality.
This revolution of tranquility proposed by Leo XIV invites us to reclaim spaces of silence in the face of the constant bombardment of digital stimuli. Mental health has become a priority, and the papal document points out that hyperconnectivity often masks a profound loneliness. It's not about becoming a hermit or throwing your phone out the window, but about not allowing the logic of immediacy to destroy the processes of human maturation, which are by nature slow and require effort—something that AI cannot replicate, no matter how hard it tries.
Towards a disarmament of artificial intelligence
In the geopolitical arena, the encyclical breaks with centuries of tradition by declaring the theory of "just war" obsolete. Faced with the emergence of autonomous weapons capable of deciding on their own whom to attack, the Vatican calls for strict public control and disarmament that is not only military, but also economic and cognitive. The fear is that AI will accelerate conflicts to such an extent that diplomacy and dialogue no longer have time to react, turning the world stage into an arms race where ethics are conspicuously absent.
To prevent us from building a new Tower of Babel that only brings confusion and pride, the Pope proposes five paths to responsibility. These range from being mindful of the language we use to truly listening to the victims of technological exclusion. The idea is for AI to become a universal good , accessible to all and geared toward social justice, preventing it from becoming a tool of control in the hands of a few who seek only to maximize profits at the expense of the dignity of the majority.
Simulation versus verified truth
Computer experts who collaborated on the document's presentation emphasize that we are falling into the trap of "linguistic plausibility." This means that, because a machine writes coherently, we believe what it says is true, when in reality it is only performing statistical calculations without understanding anything about the real world. The encyclical is very insightful in differentiating between knowledge and simply possessing packaged data that appears true but is devoid of logical and human reasoning.
This situation is especially worrying in the fields of information and education, where the attention economy rewards sensationalism over truth. The papal document encourages educators and legislators not to let their guard down against the biases that these technologies inherently incorporate. It is not enough for the code to be open source; what is needed is to understand the priorities programmed into these systems and how they categorize people, often based on criteria that have nothing to do with justice or the common good, and to adhere to rigorous editorial ethics.
The great lesson of Magnifica Humanitas is that innovation doesn't have to clash with tradition, as long as we have the courage to set boundaries. Leo XIV even apologized for past errors of the Church to make it clear that vigilance against new forms of digital enslavement is an urgent and necessary task. In the end, what is at stake is not only our jobs or the privacy of our data, but that human essence that allows us to doubt, create, and love outside of any pattern predictable by a machine.
The papal proposal culminates in an invitation not to be mere spectators of the digital transformation that surrounds us. The challenge lies in building a society where artificial intelligence is an ally that helps alleviate exclusion and poverty , rather than another wall that divides us. Through cooperation and regulations that put people at the center, Spain and the rest of Europe have the opportunity to lead a paradigm shift that ensures technological progress always goes hand in hand with ethics and universal fraternity.
