Public Books ·For the curious
How I Learned to Fear AI
by Megan Cummins
Published 2026-08-14 15:00:00+00:00
Why does the Vatican see the legacy of colonialism in the business of artificial intelligence?
0:00 / 29:04 · Narrator Sulafat
Context
In a 14 August 2026 essay, a literature professor finds an unexpected ally in the fight against Silicon Valley: the Pope. The Vatican's latest teachings on artificial intelligence read less like religious doctrine and more like a sharp critique of corporate power. Tech executives often frame algorithms as a natural evolution. Here, the technology becomes a fight over labor and control. The central question is who actually benefits from automating human thought, and whether ancient moral rules can stop tech giants from repeating the exploitative habits of the past.