Magnifica Humanitas (Weekday by appointment!)

We are studying the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas by Leo XIV. In this workshop series, we examine the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas by Leo XIV on the preservation of the human being in the age of Artificial Intelligence. "I was fascinated by Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical on AI [...] It lays a strong foundation for the work that needs to be done." – Bill Gates Meetings When: Time to be determined by participants Where: Gußhausstraße 10/2/22A, 1040 Wien Interested? Please contact Thomas Kenner The encyclical https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/de/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html Content The encyclical Magnifica Humanitas ("The Great Humanity"), signed on May 15, 2026, by Pope Leo XIV, is the first teaching document of his pontificate dedicated to the theme "On the Preservation of the Human Being in the Age of Artificial Intelligence." On the occasion of the 135th anniversary of the pioneering social encyclical Rerum Novarum by Pope Leo XIII, the document directly links to the tradition of Catholic social teaching and expands it to include the pressing questions of the digital epochal shift. The Pope places the inviolable dignity of the human being as the image of God at the center and calls for technological progress to be consistently aligned with ethical principles such as the common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, and social justice. In terms of content, the letter intensively deals with the dangers of unrestrained technocracy. Pope Leo XIV warns against the unprecedented concentration of digital and economic power in the hands of private, transnational corporations, as well as against trans- and post-humanist trends that seek to devaluation the human essence or equate it with machines. In addition to threats to democracy and social discourse through automated misinformation, the encyclical primarily emphasizes the dignity of human work. Artificial intelligence must not replace or alienate the human being; the world of work must continue to be preserved as a place of personal development and social participation. Finally, the Pope calls for global, responsible governance and legal regulation of AI technologies to prevent new forms of surveillance, dependence, and social control. He issues a sharp warning against the militarization of algorithms and autonomous weapon systems. To this, he opposes the vision of a "civilization of love": while AI can be a useful tool, diplomacy, ethical awareness, and the preservation of human heart-education are needed to ensure peace and shape a future worthy of human dignity.