Pope meets with child protection advisory board amid survivor calls for zero tolerance on abuse

VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV met with members of the Vatican's child protection advisory commission on Thursday for the first time amid questions about his past handling of clergy sex abuse cases and demands from survivors that he enact a true policy of zero tolerance for abuse across the Catholic Church.

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The Hill

3 hours ago

• The Hill

Pope Leo's AI warning

The Big Story Pope Leo XIV sounded the alarm this week over artificial intelligence (AI)'s potential impact on young people's intellectual and neurological development, building upon one of the main focuses of his papacy. © Vatican Media via Associated Press The first American pope delivered the message to an annual conference on AI and ethics, part of which took place in the Vatican this week. 'All of us, I am sure, are concerned for children and young people, and the possible consequences of the use of AI on their intellectual and neurological development,' the pope said. 'Our youth must be helped, and not hindered, in their journey towards maturity and true responsibility.' The pontiff described how new generations have unprecedented, quick access to data and information, while noting they must not confuse this access to data with intelligence. 'In the end, authentic wisdom has more to do with recognizing the true meaning of life, than with the availability of data,' Leo said. Leo acknowledged AI has been used in positive ways, pointing to research in health care and science. But he warned of the possibility the emerging technology can be used for 'selfish gain at the expense of others' or 'to foment conflict and aggression.' The pope said AI, especially generative AI, 'also raises troubling questions of its possible repercussions on humanity's openness to truth and beauty, on our distinctive ability to grasp and process reality.' Since being elected pope in early May, Leo has made the risks of AI on humanity a key priority of his papacy. In his first official address to cardinals in May, the pope warned of the challenges AI poses to the 'defense of human dignity, justice and labor.' The mission resembles that of Pope Leo XIII, who pushed for workers' rights amid the industrial revolution, and a Vatican spokesperson told media outlets the name choice was 'not a casual reference.' Read more in a full report at Welcome to The Hill's Technology newsletter, we're Miranda Nazzaro and Julia Shapero — tracking the latest moves from Capitol Hill to Silicon Valley. Did someone forward you this newsletter? Subscribe here. Essential Reads How policy will be impacting the tech sector now and in the future: Meta, Oakley partner for AI-powered glasses Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, is partnering with Oakley to launch new artificial intelligence (AI) powered glasses, the tech giant announced Friday. The new smart glasses, like Meta's earlier Ray-Ban glasses, are equipped with a built-in camera, open-ear speakers and AI capabilities. The Oakley glasses also feature a longer-lasting battery and a higher resolution camera that can shoot 3K video. … Telegram founder planning to leave fortune to his 100+ children The founder of the instant messaging app Telegram said he plans to leave his multibillion-dollar fortune to the more than 100 children he has fathered either naturally or through sperm donations. Pavel Durov, in an interview published Thursday with French political magazine Le Point, said he does not differentiate between the six children he fathered naturally in three relationships and the dozens of others he fathered by sperm … Aflac discloses cybersecurity incident Aflac said Friday that it experienced a cybersecurity incident last week that may have impacted files containing social security numbers, health information and other personal information. The insurance company first detected suspicious activity on its network last Thursday and 'promptly initiated our cyber incident response protocols and stopped the intrusion within hours,' according to a press release. 'Importantly, … The Refresh News we've flagged from the intersection of tech and other topics: Crypto Corner Coinbase secures EU crypto license © Richard Drew, Associated Press Welcome to Crypto Corner, a daily feature focused on digital currency and its outlook in Washington. Crypto exchange Coinbase has obtained a license to operate in the European Union (EU) under the bloc's relatively new regulatory framework for digital assets. The company announced Friday that it has secured a Markets in Crypto Assets (MiCA) license, allowing it to operate in all 27 European member countries. Coinbase also plans to establish its European crypto hub in Luxembourg, after receiving its license from the country's Commission de Surveillance du Secteur Financier (CSSF). 'This is a pivotal moment for Coinbase, Luxembourg, and Europe's growing crypto ecosystem,' the exchange said in a press release. 'We look forward to continuing to contribute to Europe's vibrant economy, unlocking growth, and increasing economic freedom across the region.' As crypto firms seek MiCA licenses in Europe, the U.S. continues its slow forward march toward establishing its own regulatory framework. The Senate voted 68-30 Tuesday to pass the GENIUS Act, a bill creating regulatory rules of the road for one form of cryptocurrency, known as stablecoins. President Trump threw his weight behind the legislation Wednesday, urging the House to quickly pass the bill without any major additions. However, his call stands at odds with the hopes of some in Congress and the industry, who had been hoping to tie stablecoin legislation to another bill laying out a regulatory framework for the rest of the crypto market. In Other News Branch out with other reads on The Hill: ChatGPT use linked to cognitive decline: MIT research ChatGPT can harm an individual's critical thinking over time, a study released this month suggests. Researchers at MIT's Media Lab asked subjects to write several SAT essays and separated subjects into three groups — using OpenAI's ChatGPT, using Google's search engine and using nothing, which they called the 'brain‑only' group. Each subject's brain was monitored through electroencephalography (EEG), … What Others are Reading Two key stories on The Hill right now: Senate parliamentarian knocks pieces out of Trump's megabill Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough has ruled that several key pieces of the massive bill to implement President Trump's agenda run afoul of … Read more Former Clinton campaign chief on Democrats: 'We're leaderless, we're messageless, we're agendaless' Democratic strategist Patti Solis Doyle said the party lacks a leader, message and agenda when asked about the state of the Democratic Party in an … Read more You're all caught up. See you next week!

Politico

9 hours ago

• Politico

Pope Leo XIV warns of the dangers of AI on youth

Pope Leo XIV criticized the potential negative consequences of growing AI use in a message this week — an emerging through line of his papacy. The message, released by the Vatican this week , was directed to participants of an annual conference on artificial intelligence and its ethics in Rome. Despite noting AI's potential for good, the pope also said there is a possibility for 'misuse for selfish gain' and as a way to 'foment conflict and aggression.' 'All of us, I am sure, are concerned for children and young people, and the possible consequences of the use of AI on their intellectual and neurological development. Our youth must be helped, and not hindered, in their journey towards maturity and true responsibility,' the first American pontiff said. The pope's message on AI is part of a growing theme of his pontificate. In his first address to cardinals one month ago, he warned of the dangers of AI to 'human dignity,' POLITICO reported earlier this month. Even his choice of papal name — after Pope Leo XIII, who championed workers rights during the industrial revolution — was 'not a casual reference,' a Vatican spokesperson said shortly after the conclave ended. Leo's stance on AI is similar to that of his predecessor, Pope Francis, who warned in 2024 that our societies were experiencing a loss 'of the sense of what is human.' 'Access to data — however extensive — must not be confused with intelligence, which necessarily 'involves the person's openness to the ultimate questions of life and reflects an orientation toward the True and the Good,'' Leo said in his message.

Atlantic

11 hours ago

• Atlantic

Pope Leo and the Next ‘Industrial Revolution'

The pope didn't take long to explain why he picked the name Leo. Two days after his election, he cited his inspiration: the preceding Pope Leo, who led the Church while the West confronted the social and economic disruptions of the Industrial Revolution. The world now faces 'another industrial revolution,' Leo XIV said last month, spurred not by mechanized manufacturing but by artificial intelligence. In particular, he noted the challenges that AI poses to 'human dignity, justice, and labor,' three concerns that his 19th-century namesake prioritized as he responded to the technological transformations of his time. In 1891, Leo XIII published Rerum Novarum, a moral and intellectual framework that addressed the growing inequality, materialism, and exploitation ushered in by the Industrial Revolution. The current pope has signaled that AI's arrival demands a similar intervention; if the earlier Leo's tenure is any indication, it could be the most ambitious and enduring project of Leo XIV's papacy. Rerum Novarum will be a guiding influence. Leo XIII insisted in Rerum Novarum that labor is both 'personal' and 'necessary' for each individual, and that societies should protect the dignity of their workers as they pursue economic growth. Idolizing capital widens inequality, hence the 'misery and wretchedness' that many employers inflicted on much of the working class during the Industrial Revolution. The pope stated that socialism was no solution, but that employers must guarantee their workers reasonable hours, just wages, safe workplaces, and the right to unionize. Randy Boyagoda: The pope's most revealing choice so far These statements by the Church gave crucial backing to workers' movements and civic organizations fighting for labor protections. In Europe, Rerum Novarum consolidated Catholic support for workers and bolstered the political influence of labor unions, many of which adopted Christian principles to advance their cause. Leo XIII's interventions played a significant role in the United States as well. The pope supported American worker movements such as the Knights of Labor, and inspired Catholic reformers including Monsignor John Ryan, whose advocacy for a universal living wage influenced architects of the New Deal. Leo XIII also commissioned the likes of Saint Frances Cabrini and Saint Katharine Drexel to expand their missionary work, ultimately seeding hospitals, schools, orphanages, and public-housing complexes that addressed injustices faced particularly by immigrants, Black Americans, and Native Americans. Rerum Novarum also had a profound influence on the Catholic Church itself. The document inaugurated what's now known as modern Catholic social teaching, an expansive intellectual tradition that emphasizes the common good, social justice, human dignity, and concern for the poor. Now Leo XIV has an opportunity to update this tradition for the age of AI. Like his namesake, he could marshal the Church's intellectual, cultural, and institutional resources, helping build a moral consensus about how to use a new technology that threatens to degrade humanity rather than serve it. Vice President J. D. Vance recently conceded that America is not equipped to provide this kind of leadership, but that the Catholic Church is. Leo has plenty of material to work with. Earlier this year, two administrative bodies within the Vatican produced an advisory document called Antiqua et Nova, which uses the Catholic intellectual tradition to argue that AI cannot engage with the world as a human can. For one thing, no technology has the capacity 'to savor what is true, good, and beautiful,' the authors write. Lacking interiority and a conscience, AI cannot authentically grasp meaning, assume moral accountability, or form relationships. As a result, the document contends, developers and users must take responsibility for AI products, ensuring that they don't exacerbate inequality, impose unsustainable environmental costs, or make decisions in war that could result in the indiscriminate loss of life. Tyler Austin Harper: What happens when people don't understand how AI works Both of us have contributed to initiatives that seek to better understand AI in the context of Catholic social teaching. Mariele is a member of an AI research group within the Vatican that recently published a book, Encountering Artificial Intelligence, that considers the ethical impacts of AI in politics, education, the family, and other spheres of life. In health care, for example, AI can help improve access to certain kinds of assessment and treatment, but it can also perpetuate disparities through biases reflected in data, or disrupt the relationship between patients and health-care professionals. We are both part of a cohort at the University of Southern California investigating the ethical and social implications of transhumanism, especially as it intersects with AI. The group consists mostly of theologians and Catholic bioethicists, but we have found that many scholars working outside the Catholic tradition are eager to engage with the Church's thinking on these issues. Encouraging such collaboration will be crucial for Leo. As was true of the technology of the Industrial Revolution, AI will become most dangerous when economies prioritize profit and technological development over human flourishing and the dignity of labor. Left unregulated, markets will continually choose efficiency at the expense of workers, risking widespread unemployment and the dehumanization of the kinds of work that manage to survive. If the social order does not put technology at the service of people, markets will put the latter at the service of the former. Although the Church may not have the same influence in the secular 21st century that it did in the 19th, there are signs of a possible Catholic resurgence —particularly among young people—that could help Leo reach a wider audience. Just as it did during the first Industrial Revolution, the Church has a chance to help safeguard work that is dignified, justly paid, and commensurate with human flourishing. The pope's new name is a hopeful sign that this responsibility won't go unmet.