Initial Thoughts on the Papal Encyclical On AI
It is probably fitting for the first article on the “Do Not Hallucinate” Substack to be a brief reaction to the papal encyclical on AI, Magnifica Humanitas.
If you don’t know me, my name is Mike, and I have eclectic interests that boil down to the intersection of AI and religion, U.S. religious data, and cultural apologetics.
This Substack will be informal, conversational, and sporadically cheeky. Every word will always be written by me personally. I will post once per week and will always include a digest of the most important developments of the week at the intersection of AI and religion. This Substack is essentially for three people:
The busy pastor, ministry leader, or educator who is trying to keep up on AI but doesn’t have time
The person who works in tech who is trying to get a vignette into what religious people are thinking (especially Protestants/evangelicals)
The person who is in the knowledge economy who is interested in the intersection of AI and religion
Alright, there was a lot to like about the papal encyclical on AI. Please bear in mind that I have only read it once and I would prefer to have had more time to think about it before responding.
WHAT WAS STRONG
The theological anthropology - see paragraphs 50-53
Emphasis on common grace in science and technology:
“Scientific discoveries are talents entrusted to humanity so that they may bear fruit (cf. Mt 25:14-30). Technology has the power to heal, connect, educate and protect our common home...” (paragraph 9)
“Technology should not be considered, in itself, as a force antagonistic to humanity. On the contrary, it has formed part of our history since the beginning as ‘a profoundly human reality, linked to the autonomy and freedom of man.’” (paragraph 4)
“The Church regards all who sincerely seek ‘truth, goodness and beauty’ as companions on the journey, and considers them as ‘precious allies’ in defending the dignity of every person and in caring for creation.” (paragraph 23)
Christ’s restoration of true humanity:
“By becoming man, the Son of God enters our history and takes on human flesh, bringing with him the love that unites him to the Father and the Holy Spirit. In him, ‘the mystery of humanity truly becomes clear’ because his humanity is completely free, open to others, capable of building healthy and beautiful relationships and committed to the total gift of self. Those who believe in him are engaged in the great work of renewal... and they cooperate in building up the Kingdom of God...” (paragraph 49)
Critiques of transhumanism - see paragraphs 12, 115-117, 120, 122, 131, 172, and 232
Emphasis on subsidiarity:
“The principle of subsidiarity stems from the very same understanding of the human person that has guided our reflection on dignity and the common good. If every woman and man is called to take ownership of his or her own life and to contribute to the 5/25/26, 7:30 AM Encyclical Letter of His Holiness Leo XIV Magnifica Humanitas (15 May 2026) https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html 15/52 formation of society, then social institutions must also respect and support this responsibility. The Social Doctrine of the Church refers to subsidiarity as the principle according to which the role of individuals, families, local communities and intermediary organizations should not be supplanted by higher-level authorities. Moreover, higher-level institutions must recognize, protect and promote the freedom and creativity of lower-level entities, coordinating their contributions so that they can cooperate effectively for the common good.” (paragraph 68)
PLACES OF DISAGREEMENT
I am Protestant so assume those places of disagreement on semi-pelagianism, atonement… etc. - I won’t relitigate those here
While I am not opposed to the use of natural law, the encyclical is pretty heavy on natural law
While I find value in interfaith dialogue, I also want to be careful to avoid syncretism and I would draw some the the lines around the church a little more sharply
I am more reluctant to draw parallels between chattel slavery and problematic exploitative labor practices used in data scrubbing. I agree that it is a significant problem but I prefer to keep chattel slavery in an extremely high category of evil
I found myself agreeing more on diagnoses than prescriptions. In particular there are problems with mutant or exploitative capitalism and Just War Theory has new dynamics to consider. However, I am more inclined to think optimistically about capitalism and Just War Theory than the encyclical.
Overall, I think the encyclical is worth reading and makes a lot of really good points. It is strongest on its diagnosis of the challenges of the next several years of shifts for humanity. It was a touch more hopeful than what I had anticipated and I appreciated the spirit of that. I think Protestants and Roman Catholics have a lot more agreement than disagreement, especially on diagnoses. While I am acutely aware that it is the nature of encyclicals to… well… pontificate… I am more concrete than I am abstract so I struggled most with it not being as concrete of a document.
AI DEVELOPMENTS AND ARTICLES
The biggest developments from Google’s I/O 2026 - The Verge
Google is killing search as you know it - TechCrunch
Work will always matter - Commonplace
Main Takeaways From Pope Leo’s Encyclical on A.I. - New York Times