Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical as pontiff drew a sharp response from American readers who share his concerns about artificial intelligence, warning that rapid, lightly regulated deployment threatens jobs, privacy and, potentially, human life. Respondents cited risks ranging from labor displacement and entrenched tech monopolies to expanded surveillance and the environmental footprint of data centers. Several praised the pope’s call for stricter ethical guardrails, framing it as a needed counterweight to profit-driven rollout, while others questioned the church’s relevance in a secular debate or criticized its positions on gender and sexuality. The reactions underscore deepening public unease over AI’s social and geopolitical impact—and the political stakes of regulating a technology racing ahead of oversight.
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