Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) is urging AI executives to embrace Pope Leo XIV‘s human-centered approach to artificial intelligence after meeting with the pontiff and discussing his Magnifica Humanitas encyclical.
Khanna Cites Pope Leo’s AI Ethics Vision
On Saturday, Khanna said on X that he recently met with Leo to discuss "Magnifica Humanitas" and the ethical challenges surrounding artificial intelligence.
"It was an honor to discuss Magnifica Humanitas with Pope Leo last week," Khanna wrote.
He said the pope has offered "an ethical framework for AI affirming human agency & equality."
Khanna added, "I have since written to AI CEOs, calling on them to live up to these principles."
Pope Leo Warns AI Must Serve Humanity
Leo urged policymakers and technology leaders to keep human welfare at the center of AI development.
"The world does not need an artificial intelligence that diminishes humanity," Leo said
Instead, he called for "human intelligence enlightened by wisdom, political authority guided by conscience and technological innovation directed by charity."
"Only then will artificial intelligence become not a rival to humanity but a servant of the common good," he said.
AI, Jobs and Human Control
Earlier, White House Science and Technology Advisor Michael Kratsios said some companies blamed AI for layoffs they likely would have made anyway because the narrative "plays better in the press."
He remained optimistic that AI would create new opportunities despite changing existing jobs.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said the world could be "only a couple of years away" from early versions of true superintelligence.
He also argued that AI should be democratized rather than concentrated among a single company or country, emphasizing liberty, democracy and human agency.
Microsoft Corp. (NASDAQ:MSFT) CEO Satya Nadella said fully AI-run companies remained "too far-fetched," arguing humans would continue to play a central role in business.
He said people would delegate broad tasks to AI agents while maintaining oversight, emphasizing that "human agency is going to be very much part of it."
Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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