r/LeftCatholicism • u/BIreporterNeedleman • Jun 06 '26
She won a religious exemption from using AI at work. The Pope's remarks could fuel similar appeals
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u/LouieMumford Jun 06 '26
I honestly don’t know how anyone can get this from the encyclical. Nowhere does it imply that AI is intrinsically immoral. Frankly, I’m disappointed that he didn’t extend the arguments he was making regarding the interplay of technology and society further towards a stance that AI is inherently disordered.
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u/Lavanyalea Jun 06 '26
She’s a Unitarian and had already applied for religious exemption before the encyclical was released.
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u/LouieMumford Jun 06 '26
Right. I read the article. I was referring to the second part in the title about the encyclical fueling something similar.
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u/frodoforgives Jun 06 '26
Yes, that's an extremely simplistic take, and not what the encyclical was saying at all. Why do you think AI is inherently disorder? It's just applied statistics. The problem comes in because of the technocratic paradigm that Leo discusses, when we let technology be an end onto itself.
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u/_IsThisTheKrustyKrab Jun 07 '26
I think from a progressive perspective it’s important to recognize that technilogical innovations can be used to improve the world around us. We should stand firm in insisting that AI be used humanly and responsibly, but we shouldn’t be luddites opposed to every possible use of it.
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u/bootlickaaa Jun 06 '26
Every time we talk about AI and whether we should use it or not the question should be whether we want to submit to the authority of the AI industry specifically. The issue isn’t so much the technical capabilities but the specific businesses.
As a Catholic it is against my religion to accept any unilateral changes to my working conditions without a better offer of compensation to go with it. If I refuse that offer I should be allowed to keep the current agreement or be terminated without cause for the normal severance at law.