Pope Leo XIV invokes Tolkien in AI encyclical, targeting tech oligarchs
The Vatican’s latest stance on AI ethics marks a shift from bioethics to broader human concerns, with the encyclical drawing parallels to the Industrial Revolution and implicitly critiquing the interpretations of Elon Musk and Peter Thiel.
Pope Leo XIV released his first encyclical, titled “Magnifica humanitas,” on Monday, addressing the imperative to safeguard the human person in the era of artificial intelligence. The document, which marks a significant evolution in the Vatican’s approach to technology, draws heavily on the works of J.R.R. Tolkien and includes a direct quotation from the character Gandalf to warn against the concentration of power and the “technocratic paradigm.”
The encyclical explicitly compares the rise of artificial intelligence to the Industrial Revolution, referencing the teachings of Pope Leo XIII, who issued a similar document in 1891 asserting workers’ rights during a period of technological upheaval. This historical parallel underscores the current pontiff’s stance as an AI skeptic, urging tech leaders to abandon transhumanist ambitions in favour of a vision of building through love and charity rather than revolutionary disruption.
Media analysis suggests the reference to Tolkien serves as a pointed critique of tech billionaires such as Elon Musk and Peter Thiel, whose interpretations of Middle-earth mythology have been widely ridiculed. The WIRED report highlights how Thiel has named his data analytics firm Palantir after a spying device used by the villainous wizard Saruman and reportedly refers to his venture capital firm as “the precious,” echoing the terminology of the covetous character Gollum.
In contrast to the encyclical’s message, Musk has previously interpreted the isolation of hobbits as a defence of border protection, a reading described as inaccurate given Tolkien’s inspiration from the horrors of World War I. The encyclical’s inclusion of Gandalf’s call to uproot evil and preserve the earth for future generations is viewed as a direct rebuke to tech elites who are accused of prioritising efficiency and profit over human dignity.
The release of “Magnifica humanitas” signals a strategic shift from the Vatican’s 2020 “Rome Call for AI Ethics,” which focused on bioethics in partnership with Microsoft and IBM. The new document addresses broader concerns regarding human futures amid US-China technological rivalry and the growing influence of Big Tech, with neither Thiel nor Musk immediately returning requests for comment on the papal letter.
