Wednesday of the Twenty-eighth Week in Ordinary Time
In Magnifica Humanitas, Pope Leo XIV offers a vision of a new Jerusalem based on humanity caring for one another and recognizing the other as a face, not merely a function. The ability to care for one another is a fundamental dimension of our humanity, enabling us to offer care at the societal level and to recognize others as persons worthy of attention. So Pope Leo XIV, by relying on his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, poses the question: does AI make human life on earth more human in every aspect of that life? Does AI make it more worthy of man? If the answer is yes, then we can recognize AI as an opportunity to be embraced responsibly, on the path to rebuilding a new Jerusalem. Moreover, the Pope is calling for the promotion of the common good at the level of a small unit of every stakeholder that is involved in the AI revolution. While the State still has a role to play, promoting the common good mainly rests with the stakeholders of the AI revolution. On decisions about economic flows and digital platforms, as well as the governance of data and algorithms, the Pope argues that we must build forms of cooperation that respect the various levels of the global community and hold them jointly responsible for the common good.
In his letter to the Galatians that we hear in the first reading, St. Paul also talks about the community. While he contrasts life in the Spirit with life in the flesh, his main message is about community. Living in the flesh leads one down to self-serving and evil attitudes and actions that ultimately divide human beings and community. If we look carefully, most of the evil deeds Paul lists fall under the category of promoting community dissension. For instance, sexual depravity harms the community by fracturing the foundational building blocks of society—marriage and the family—and replacing a culture of mutual love with an individualistic culture of exploitation. The bottom line is that living in the flesh harms the community. In contrast, life in the Spirit produces fruit that shows up in attitudes and actions considerate of others, rather than individualistic behavior. The fruits of the Spirit are the virtues that build up the community. St. Paul’s message remains relevant in the era of digital revolution, where the fleshly use of AI takes many forms of individualistic behavior, while responsible use of AI in the life of the Spirit produces fruits that lead to care for one another in communal life.