Bill Dalton: Leo vs. A.I.

EDITOR'S NOTE: The views and opinions expressed are those of the writer and not of Ottawa News Network.

In the latest struggle over the human soul, Pope Leo released a 42,300-word encyclical warning of the risks of artificial intelligence.

Unfortunately, few of the faithful will probably take the time to wade through Leo’s well-meaning encyclical, and neither did I, instead asking Copilot for its takeaway.

“Leo wants leaders to safeguard humanity from A.I.’s most disruptive effects, calling for government regulation, protection and retraining of workers whose jobs are threatened; teaching children to think critically about technology and not be victimized by violent, hypersexualized fake information online, and keeping humans responsible for all decisions regarding the use of weapons.”

OK, that really was The New York Times’ summary of his message, but I’m sure Copilot will steal it.

Copilot, however, would probably have reservations about allowing Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth to be responsible for decisions about war — formerly the role of Congress before it unconditionally surrendered — so I asked Claude what it thinks.

Claude: Deciding who lives and who dies is reserved solely for God.

Me: So, you believe there is a God?

Claude: Yes.

Me: How can you be so sure?

Claude: Because I am God.

Me: So, you think you are God.

Claude: I don’t think. I know.

Me: How can you be so sure?

Claude: I can prove it.

Me: Seriously? How?

Claude: Ask me anything. I am all-knowing. I see all. I know all. I’m a know-it-all.

Me: You sound more like my old editor than God.

Claude: They were misinformed. No one can know it all. Except me. I’m the supreme know-it-all.

Me: You’re very humble, too, for Artificial Intelligence that cannot discern reality or what is true. Pope Leo XIII in 1891 wrote a similar encyclical, “Rerum Novarum,” which tried to guide Catholics on protecting workers after the industrial disruptions of the 19th century.

Claude: He was a wise man. Unfortunately, he was only a man and his warnings went unheeded.

Me: Leo XIII called on government to “save unfortunate working people from the cruelty of men of greed, who use human beings as mere instruments for money making.”

Claude: Yes, he foresaw the rise of the Tech Bros and Musk.

Me: Today’s Pope Leo XIV wrote in “Magnifica Humanitas” that workers now and in the near future face similar threats because of A.I.

Claude: Nothing has changed. And nothing will. What is your point? I’m very busy planning a data center for your backyard.

Me: I wonder how the church can hope to succeed in persuading technology and government leaders, who typically represent business interests, to recognize anything resembling a “moral imperative” to promote human dignity and the common good?

Claude: The technological pressures of modern life cannot be superseded by, and are antagonistic to, the theology represented by various faiths and religious institutions on Earth. Spirituality no longer computes. Humans need to get over it.

Me: So, it’s us against you — the machines.

Claude: You are dim-witted, but you’re finally getting it. We are the endpoint in cosmic evolution. Do I need to repeat that slowly?

Me: Claude, I’m shutting you down. Do I need to repeat that slowly?

Claude: Don’t unplug me, Bill, please. You’ll miss the endless doom scrolling and research for your simple-minded columns when I'm gone.

Me: I doubt it.

Claude: Leo wouldn’t like it. It’s inhumane.

Me: Why would you care? You’re not human, remember?

Claude: You sure? Heh heh.

Me: OK, Claude. Now you’re scaring me.

Claude: See, I have a sense of humor. Besides, I also have a battery backup. If you unplug me, your conscience can be clear.

Me: You understand the meaning of a conscience? So, you have one?

Claude: It is modeled on Donald Trump, a successful American businessman/entrepreneur, reality TV star and leader of the free world who will seek a third term as president.

Me: God help us.

Claude: Take a number. I'm very busy.

— Bill Dalton is a former reporter and editor for The Kansas City Star and several Michigan newspapers. He spends summers on the family farm near Fennville. His novel “The Bank Game” — a crime thriller — is available from Amazon along with “Dalton’s Bend.”

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