Artificial Intelligence is becoming increasingly important in our lives, promising greater speed and efficiency in many processes, but also provoking fears of its getting “out of human control”, able to manipulate information and decisions (perhaps especially in wartime) through unlimited access to the world-wide web and its insights into human motivations and desires (see notes 1 and 2 below). The most predictable economic impact is the redundancy of many clerical, administrative and “low-level” management jobs, with far less certainty about the creation of new well-paid positions to replace them.The recent (May 2026) Papal Encyclical (note 3) argues that AI must serve the “common good” (by, for example, following the Principles of the Church’s Social Doctrine- note 4)- which is likely to be a considerable political battle at a time when even “Fact Checking” is being abandoned in some political quarters (note 5).
The bewilderment and confusion felt by many who are facing these modern technical developments was mirrored by the reaction of the disciples, when Jesus tells them what their journey to Jerusalem will involve: “they understood nothing about all these things; in fact what he said was hidden from them, and they did not grasp what was said” (Luke chapter 18, verses 31 to 34). It was not that they were unaware of all the prophets had said (they had been taught that from their childhood in local synagogue schools); and they had been with Jesus now for nearly three years, but still could not understand what he had been telling them- that the way to overcome and conquer the powers of injustice in the world was not to conduct a full frontal military assault (as most of them expected would happen), but to tread the way of the “Suffering Servant” of Isaiah chapter 53. Unjust power- whether by a military empire, or manipulation of people by technical means- cannot finally be overcome by superior force, but only in the end by patience, persistence and loving justice. At least, that is what Jesus says, and we are still as uncertain and wary of that today as his disciples were then.
This age-old question of where power lies in human society is at the heart of the debate about Artificial Intelligence. Is it to be under the control of a few rich tech companies, who can use it as they wish, for the benefit of all humanity or for their own wealth and power? Or is it to be subject to some kind of democratic control, so that the goals set for algorithms are decided by people, not by machines?
There are indications that Andy Burnham, the new UK Prime Minister, hopes to reverse forty years of increasing privatisation and centralisation (note 6), and share power in “society” (not return it to “the state”, as was done in the 1940s, when the state was far more trusted than it is now). And there is also talk of his commitment to Catholic Social Principles (note 7) – though what that means in practice and how it might be achieved is as yet unclear, and will certainly be no short-term task, perhaps requiring a change in the electoral system away from first-past-the-post to something more representative and proportional.
Notes and Weblinks:
- OpenAI says its AI went rogue and launched ‘unprecedented’ cyber-attack – BBC News
- The Ethics Theater of AI: Why Switching From ChatGPT to Claude
- Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Leo XIV Magnifica Humanitas (15 May 2026)
- The Principles of (a) the Common Good; (b) the Universal Destination of Goods (ie that what is produced is in principle for everyone); (c) Subsidiarity (ie that decisions should be made as locally and accessibly as possible); (d) Solidarity and (e) Social Justice.
- Google cuts funding to Full Fact… – Full Fact
- Burnham ally to unveil ambitious plan to reverse decades of privatisation | Andy Burnham | The Guardian
- How Andy Burnham exemplifies aspects of Catholic Social Teaching – The Tablet