A note before I start. I am Catholic, and the Papal encyclical I reference shapes how I read this moment. I am not asking anyone to share my opinions or my beliefs. I am explaining how I see things. The Pope just preserved many jobs and created many new job openings through the conversation around the encyclical — Magnifica Humanitas, his first encyclical. It is long, and I am still reading it.
The line that stays with me is his predecessor Leo XIII’s response to objections that the Church should focus on eternal life rather than worldly matters. He said the proclamation of the Gospel cannot overlook the concrete lives of people. Leo XIV is making the same argument now, about AI.
In 2024, I once had to give a presentation on behalf of the Nigerian Society for Corporate Governance to an audience of Nigerian directors and senior management. They were not fully sold on the impact of AI. A lot has changed in two years. The transformative effect of AI will be felt not just in this era but for generations to come.