Pope Leo XIII confronted the dehumanizing effects of the Industrial Revolution in the late-19th century with his important encyclical on human work, Rerum Novarum. 

Fast forward more than 130 years, where Pope Leo XIV is tackling the industrial revolution of the 21st century: artificial intelligence (AI).

As he explained in May, “Today the Church offers to all its social doctrine heritage to respond to another industrial revolution and the development of artificial intelligence, which present new challenges for defending human dignity, justice and work.”

In very short order, artificial intelligence has moved from a niche academic concept into the mainstream. The release of ChatGPT in late 2022 heralded the beginning of a new technological era, often compared to the electrification of the 1920s or the internet boom of the 1990s. 

AI’s potential is staggering: Companies built around it have reached valuations in the trillions, and capital is rapidly flowing toward those poised to benefit. President Trump’s AI Action Plan described this moment as a “new frontier of scientific discovery” with the power to reshape industries, global dynamics and daily life. 

Artificial intelligence is already transforming transportation, retail and logistics, to name a few areas. Autonomous trucks have started navigating Texas highways at night, Tesla humanoid robots serve popcorn to customers at a California charging station, and Amazon warehouse bots promise greater efficiency and reduced employee injuries. 

As with past industrial revolutions, AI offers immense potential to improve the human condition. Technologies that reduce workplace injuries or traffic accidents align with the principles of safe working conditions, one of the rights of workers outlined in Rerum Novarum. 

Every technological revolution brings risks, which are amplified with the increasing potential of the new technology. While robotics and autonomous driving might help reduce work injuries and accidents, they will also, inevitably, lead to displacement of humans from the workforce. In Rerum Novarum, Pope Leo XIII emphasized that work contributes to personal dignity and should never reduce people to expendable tools. If AI leads to a widespread displacement that deepens economic divides, it risks violating these principles. 

Another form of dehumanization may arise from overreliance on AI. Most of us prefer to use a calculator or tax-preparation software to reduce computational burden. But now students can use AI to summarize books, write their essays, answer and even “think for them.” And the capabilities of AI will only increase. There already exist AI-powered bots that act as “perfect” girlfriends or boyfriends, and one can easily imagine where this can go with further progress in robotics. 

These developments require us to revisit the foundational question: “What does it mean to be human?” In our utilitarian society, such questions have often been dismissed as philosophical abstractions. But Catholic anthropology insists that the human person is created in the image of God, with intellect, will and a capacity for communion. These truths must guide our engagement with AI.

Technological revolutions often arrive suddenly, finding society unprepared for the changes that lie ahead. Today, educational institutions are scrambling to respond. Some ban AI tools entirely, seeking to preserve “pure” learning. Others embrace them, integrating AI into content delivery and skill development. But most approaches remain utilitarian, focusing on how to use AI rather than when and why.

To address this gap, organizations are forming ethics boards and AI governance committees. Yet, they struggle to find professionals equipped to assess technologies beyond their technical merits. The education that is needed today must combine strong ethical formation with technological literacy. 

This perspective presents both significant challenges and promising opportunities for general and Catholic higher education. Does the university exist to train workers for specific professions? Or is to form in young people enduring intellectual virtues, such as a love of learning (“studiositas”), a passion of truth, clarity of expression, humility in thought, and careful, honest research? Universities should form students in the virtues of intellectual love: love for truth, love for work, love for service, love for solving problems. 

Many Catholic colleges and universities already offer a strong foundation in Catholic ethics, while adopting distinctive pedagogical approaches, such as the Socratic method at Thomas Aquinas College or the online person-centered study model at Catholic International University. This is a great foundation on which to build a curriculum ready for the AI era.

A compelling example of this direction is the newly announced master’s program in prudential technology at Catholic International University. This offering blends deep training in Catholic ethics and anthropology with a comprehensive understanding of AI technologies across their lifecycle — from product design and development to implementation and meaningful use. Graduates will be equipped to enter the modern workforce and lead the responsible, human-centered application of emerging technologies. 

Programs such as these respond to a pressing need in higher education: to harmonize technological innovation with the enduring principles of Christian anthropology and natural law. Guided by Pope St. John Paul II’s vision of Catholic universities in Ex Corde Ecclesiae, programs like these address the increasing fragmentation that has occurred in recent years as universities have distanced classical and contemporary philosophical study from the technical disciplines. 

Unlike prevailing approaches that treat the human builders and users of technology as a mere collection of limited sensors and actuators — devoid of soul and moral agency — our program seeks to reintegrate the study of human nature into the design of technology, recognizing the person as a unified being of body and soul.

With a curriculum rooted in rigorous application-focused education in AI, immersive technologies (XR) and data science, paired with a robust exploration of Christian anthropology, students learn to evaluate the broader implications of their work. This approach ensures that emerging technologies serve as instruments for authentic human growth, rather than as static tools that can diminish the dignity and capacities of the human person over time.

Although AI’s progress might seem lightning-fast, we are still in the early stages of this revolution. Humans still govern AI development and deployment. But there is no time to waste: The world is changing rapidly, and we must decide if we want to shape it or be shaped by it. It is encouraging to see Pope Leo XIV willing to help lead the way but he cannot do it alone. We are all called to discern our role in this moment: to ensure that technology serves humanity in making the world a better place.

In Genesis, God commands humanity to “fill the earth and subdue it.” In the burgeoning age of artificial intelligence, this mandate takes on a new meaning. We must not reject technology, nor blindly embrace it. Instead, we must steward it — guided by truth, justice and the dignity of the human person.

 

Michael Pencina, Ph.D., is a trustee and William Hutson, Ph.D., is a professor at Catholic International University.