I just read all 245 paragraphs of the Pope’s encyclical on AI.

Here are 8 fantastic ideas (even if you aren't religious).

The Pope just released a major document on artificial intelligence. It's called Magnifica Humanitas.

Cards on the table, I’m not a Catholic. I am Christian though. But even if you aren’t, good thinking is good thinking. And this is some of the clearest writing on AI I've read all year.

So I read all 245 paragraphs. Here's what stood out.

1) We don't get to opt out of this moment

The encyclical refuses to treat AI as "merely yet another theme to be studied or a crisis to be managed." It's already here. The toothpaste is out of the tube (my words, not his..).Pretending it’s not happening or that it's someone else's problem is not a responsible option.

2) We are building something. The only question is what.

This is the heart of the whole document. The Pope uses two images from the Bible. Babel: a tower built on pride and efficiency that ends in confusion. And Jerusalem: a city rebuilt "piece by piece" through shared responsibility. "The primary choice is not between a 'yes' or 'no' to  technology, but rather between constructing Babel or rebuilding Jerusalem."

We will build something, but what will we build?

3) Technology is never neutral.

"Technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate and use it." I've said this for years, borrowing from Neil Postman. Good to see it stated so plainly.

4) AI is "cultivated," not "built (and we don’t really understand it)

Even the people who design these systems have "only a limited understanding" of how they actually work. Nobody is fully in control. That should make all of us a little more humble.

5) Don't confuse this "intelligence" with yours.

AI systems "merely imitate certain functions of human intelligence." They "do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain." They can simulate empathy without having any. The word "intelligence" may smuggle in ideas that simply aren’t true.

6) "Having more" is not "being more."

Progress without moral growth produces "an increase in means without a growth in humanity." More capability does not automatically mean a better life. Having more is not an automatic good.

7) Watch who holds the power.

AI "tends to amplify the power of those who already possess economic resources, expertise and access to data." A small number of private actors increasingly set the rules. That concerns everyone, believer or not.

8) A civilisation is judged by its care, not its power.

Here’s my favourite line in the whole document: "The quality of a civilization is measured not by the power of its means, but by the care it is able to offer, by its ability to recognize the other as a face not merely as a function." Wow. And readily applicable to the classroom.

Overall, I thought this was a magnificent read. It’s tough, dense, but incredibly valuable.

I commend it to you regardless of your faith position.

I’ve included a link in the comments below.

Tell me this - which of these ideas resonated with you most strongly? Let me know!