Nothing artificial
Ex 19:2-6a; Ps 100:1-2, 3, 5; Rom 5:6-11; Mt 9:36—10:8
The reviews of Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas” have focused almost exclusively on his reflections concerning artificial intelligence. But we should note that the encyclical’s title isn’t “Magnifica Intelligentia Artificialis.”
Leo is not ultimately writing about AI, but about humanity — what it means to be a human person, and why every person is imbued with a unique dignity and a unique capacity to be in relationship with others, such that artificial intelligence can never become “artificial humanity.”
Leo’s argument is grounded on his discussion of human limits: “The limit, the heart and the grandeur of the human person” (MH, 118). By definition, humans are creatures: We are created. To be a creature is to be limited in some capacity; the creature is less than the creator.
It seems there is something inherent in creatures that does not like being limited. If you think about the things that you’re unhappy with in your life, there’s a good chance that they are somehow related to limits: the goals you have not been able to achieve, the blessings (beauty, wealth, etc.) you have not received, the choices of others that have been forced upon you, and so forth.
Leo reminds us that our limitations needn’t be obstacles that impede our ability to trust each other or to see the true goodness in ourselves and others: “We must remember that humanity flourishes not despite limitations, but often through them” (MH, 118). One of the fallacies of AI, or any other technology, is that it can allow us to overcome our limitations without the (often painful and difficult) work of trusting and engaging with others.
It is precisely the limitations of our humanity that offer the opportunity to live in trust of another’s care for us, and for us to extend that compassion to others. In other words, our limitations and vulnerabilities are the necessary foundation for our capacity to give and receive trust and love. It is ultimately love, not technology, that enables us to transcend any wounding that results from our limitations.
We shouldn’t be naive about this. It would be foolish to pretend that our only response to another person’s limitations is love. Those very limitations are also the foundation for the capacity to manipulate or dominate others.
But if our human love is itself limited, the love of God — i.e., God’s grace — is not. That grace provides the ultimate transcendence to overcome the pain of our limits and helps us be open to new possibilities for mercy and creativity. It is precisely those possibilities that our pain often blinds us from seeing or believing in.
The Gospel today presents what many people perceive as a painful limitation, which paradoxically comes from Jesus’ own mouth. As he sends the disciples out on mission, he tells them to bypass the pagans and Samaritans, focusing only on the house of Israel. But wasn’t Jesus’ good news intended for everyone? Aren’t we supposed to proclaim him to all the world?
A more modern version of this concern might be our questioning why God’s blessings only seem to come to certain people, but not to others? Why is he blessed with perfect health and a beautiful family, while I’m battling cancer alone? Why was she born into great wealth, while I’ve only known poverty?
Unfortunately, there are rarely satisfactory answers to such questions. But those limits need not separate us from the love of God or others. The suffering of our limits can open the door to letting ourselves be loved and helped by others, if we have the humility and patience to let them.
It also requires that we communicate our needs and desires to the people in our lives and to God. The love of God is often mediated through human support.
Rather than addressing the suffering of our limits by “offering it up” to God, we might “offer it to” the care of others, even if they seemingly cannot solve our problem. Their limited love, and God’s infinite love, are not simply consolation prizes to stand in for “real healing.”
Pope Leo reminds us that authentic love transcends the pain of limits. There is nothing artificial about that.