International News: Pope Leo XIV compares AI era to industrial revolution in First Encyclical
By Zoila Palma: Pope Leo XIV has used his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, to urge the Catholic Church to respond to artificial intelligence in much the same way Pope Leo XIII addressed the social upheaval of the Industrial Revolution. Released May 25, 2026, on the 135th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, the document presents what Leo […] The post International News: Pope Leo XIV compares AI era to industrial revolution in First Encyclical appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
Black News 
By Zoila Palma: Pope Leo XIV has used his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, to urge the Catholic Church to respond to artificial intelligence in much the same way Pope Leo XIII addressed the social upheaval of the Industrial Revolution.
Released May 25, 2026, on the 135th anniversary of Rerum Novarum, the document presents what Leo XIV describes as a modern response to the economic and social challenges created by rapidly advancing technology.
Since the start of his papacy, Leo XIV has repeatedly referenced Rerum Novarum, the landmark 1891 encyclical that condemned the excesses of the Gilded Age while defending workers’ rights and promoting a more just social order. That document later influenced European social democracy, New Deal programs in the United States and movements that promoted worker ownership and cooperative economic systems.
In Magnifica Humanitas, Leo XIV argues that society faces another period of major disruption as artificial intelligence reshapes work, politics and economic life amid widening inequality. The pope frames the challenge through two biblical images: the Tower of Babel, symbolizing pride and centralized power, and the rebuilding of Jerusalem under Nehemiah, which emphasized cooperation and shared responsibility.
The pope warns that the modern AI industry risks becoming a new Tower of Babel, dominated by a small number of companies controlling technology capable of transforming society. He expresses concern that some AI leaders embrace ideas that diminish the importance of human labor and place human decision-making further from warfare and other critical areas. The encyclical calls on people to remain “profoundly human” and actively participate in shaping history rather than remaining passive observers.
The post International News: Pope Leo XIV compares AI era to industrial revolution in First Encyclical appeared first on Belize News and Opinion on www.breakingbelizenews.com.
