Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) echoed Pope Leo XIV's call for ethical artificial intelligence (AI) development on Friday.
Pope Warns Of AI's Human Impact
Pope Leo XIV stressed that humans are "called to be co-workers in the work of creation, not merely passive consumers of content generated by artificial technology."
He said this while sharing his address from the "Artificial Intelligence and Care of Our Common Home" conference, organized by the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation and the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities.
The Pope highlighted that human dignity rests in the ability to reflect, make choices freely, love unconditionally, and form authentic relationships.
Leo, the first U.S. pope, added that protecting these qualities is essential to managing the societal and ethical consequences of AI.
Bernie Sanders Calls For Fair AI Use
Sanders shared the Pope's address on X, underscoring its warning that AI could concentrate wealth and power in the hands of a few.
Sanders referenced Pope Leo XIV's warning about the potential misuse of AI, emphasizing that its development should prioritize the common good rather than concentrating wealth and power among a small elite.
The Senator added that "We must demand that the benefits of this technology work for all, not just the rich."
Sanders, Hinton Warn Billionaire-Controlled AI May Leave Workers Behind
Last month, at a Georgetown University forum, Sanders and AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton cautioned that AI could improve lives, but only if its development is guided by interests beyond tech billionaires.
Sanders said that the key issue is who controls AI, questioning whether investments by leaders like Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA), SpaceX, and xAI CEO Elon Musk and Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos truly aim to benefit workers, healthcare, or climate initiatives.
While AI and robotics have the potential to reduce dangerous labor and boost productivity, Sanders noted that workers often do not share in these gains, citing ongoing struggles over shorter workweeks as an example.
Silicon Valley is investing record amounts in AI. The “Magnificent Seven” — Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL), Microsoft Corp (NASDAQ:MSFT), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL), Amazon, Meta Platforms, Inc. (NASDAQ:META), Nvidia Corp (NASDAQ:NVDA) and Tesla — are expected to spend close to $400 billion on AI infrastructure in 2025.
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