Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical addresses AI with a call for anticipatory ethics (decode39.com)

• First papal encyclical to proactively address AI before irreversible consequences.
• Uses Tower of Babel and rebuilding Jerusalem as metaphors for current crossroads.
• Calls for ex ante regulation and virtue ethics in AI design.

"Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical focuses on artificial intelligence, marking a shift from reactive to anticipatory papal teaching. Economist Stefano Zamagni highlights that the encyclical seeks to foresee consequences of emerging technologies before they become irreversible. It frames humanity at a crossroads between the Tower of Babel (omnipotence) and rebuilding Jerusalem (collective responsibility). The text addresses military AI (mentioning Anthropic's Mythos system), work, and the need for virtue ethics over utilitarianism. It urges politics to regain centrality and warns against tech companies replacing democratic institutions."