My 10 year-old framework on the future of technology, digital ethics, androrithms and The Good Future of Humanity line up beautifully with Pope Leo XIV’s recent, historic encyclical Magnifica Humanitas. I am not religious (or catholic) but it is really fascinating to see how my core concepts run completely parallel to the moral warnings emerging from the Vatican, at this moment.
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“We are a desire, not an algorithm”— Pope Leo XIV, May 14th, 2026
Here is a simple comparison:
1. “Hellven”: The Fork in the Road
My Vision: I have long argued that we are at a “fork in the road” moment. Technology itself could lead us to “Heaven” — solving climate change, cancer, and energy crises — or it can lead to “Hell” if left entirely to unchecked commercial monopolies. I call this tension “Hellven.”
The Pope’s Stance: Leo XIV mirrors this precisely using biblical imagery. He warns that humanity faces a pivotal choice: either construct a new Tower of Babel (a grandiose, hyper-efficient, but ultimately dehumanizing technocratic project) or build Jerusalem piece by piece (a human-centered project of shared responsibility).
2. “Embrace Technology, But Don’t Become It”
My Vision: A cornerstone of my philosophy is that technology is a magnificent tool, but it lacks existence, agency… a soul. I emphasize that while machines excel at computational data processing, humans must protect what makes them unique: creativity, empathy, and ethics. I warn against the dangers of cognitive outsourcing — atrophying our own critical thinking by relying completely on chatbots.
The Pope’s Stance: The Pope writes that AI merely “imitates” human functions. He notes that AI can never truly know love, friendship, or responsibility because it lacks a body, a soul, and an inner life. He similarly warns that when technology weakens our critical sense, our inner freedom and peace are placed at severe risk.
3. Disarming AI: Calling out the Monopolies
My Vision: I have frequently highlighted the massive risk of allowing just two or three private Silicon Valley giants to reshape humanity, operating purely under commercial and geopolitical pressures. I advocate for global “red lines” and strict regulatory frameworks to keep power distributed.
The Pope’s Stance: In a key segment of his speech, Leo XIV asserts that “Artificial Intelligence needs to be disarmed.” He points out that digital power does not rest with states, but with opaque technological actors who evade public oversight. He calls for “disarming” AI, freeing it from the mentality of commercial and geopolitical competition and making it open to democratic debate.
4. The Value of Work vs. Machine Efficiency
My Vision: I have noted many times that “if you can easily explain your job, it will probably be automated,” but I also maintain that human-only work is our future. I stress that when machines take over the routine, society must totally redefine work and protect the livelihoods of those displaced.
The Pope’s Stance: The Pope explicitly hits out at the “technocratic paradigm” that reduces human beings to productivity metrics, cognitive performance, or mere data points. He notes that AI paradoxically de-skills workers and subjects them to automated surveillance. He demands that access to dignified work remain a central priority for public policy, ensuring innovation frees up human time rather than causing mass exclusion.
5. Digital Ethics and the “Invisible” Underclass
My Vision: I urge the world to look past the shiny, flawless interfaces leaving the “tech factories” and have a serious conversation about digital ethics and real-world consequences.
The Pope’s Stance: The Pope pulls back the curtain on the tech industry, noting that nothing in AI is magical or entirely immaterial. He brings up the “new forms of slavery” driving the digital economy: the millions of hidden, exploited workers in the Global South doing low-wage data labeling and content moderation, alongside children mining rare earth elements in dangerous conditions just to keep the algorithmic pipeline flowing.
Related reads
The Atlantic · The Guardian · The BBC
Pope Leo says AI must be ‘disarmed’ in his first major teaching: no algorithm can make war morally acceptable. AI doesn’t remove the intrinsic inhumanity of war, he said — it risks sparking conflict more quickly and making it more impersonal by lowering the threshold for resorting to violence, turning defense into threat prediction and reducing victims to data.
He compared the delay in acting against AI’s risks today to how slowly society and the Church denounced the scourge of slavery, and referred to the risk of “digital colonialism,” linking colonial-era abuses to modern tech practices. He issued a special appeal to AI developers: “Developers bear a particular ethical and spiritual responsibility, for every design choice reflects a vision of humanity.”
For context, see what I said about what I call “The Technocratic Oath”:
AI needs to be disarmed:
For more videos on this topic check out my new Video Platform at Gerd.tv (free access)
NotebookLM Materials
In the 2026 encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV addresses the moral implications of artificial intelligence and the shifting landscape of human dignity. He warns against a technocratic paradigm where efficiency and profit override the sanctity of the person, advocating for the “disarming” of AI to prevent it from fueling global conflict or economic exclusion. He calls for strict ethical governance and transparency, emphasizing that technological power must not reside solely with private corporations but should serve the common good. Beyond digital concerns, the Pontiff offers a historic apology for the Church’s past role in slavery while condemning modern forms of digital exploitation, urging humanity to choose fraternal communion over the self-destructive pride symbolized by the Tower of Babel.
Watch this explainer video on my Gerd.tv site (download available).
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Gerd and Pope Leo:)
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