Papa Leo taught the Tech Bros about Tolkien

No one was surprised by that Pope Leo XIV he mentioned famous saints and ancient popes in his books the first encyclicalor the papal letter of spiritual guidance, “A great personality,” published Monday.

But the name that immediately jumped out at many readers is the same as the top notes: JRR TolkienCatholic writer of The Lord of the Rings.

Leo’s letter is about “protecting a person in the time of artificial intelligence,” which was the biggest headline in his first year as head of the Catholic Church.” From his successor, Pope Francis, he warned of the “growing hegemony of technology,” which could “reduce the natural world to an object of exploitation and suffocate people in the system of things that make things work so well.” He also compares the rise of AI to the Industrial Revolution that lasted from the mid-1800s to the early 20th century, referring to the teachings of his namesake, Pope Leo XIII, who in his 1891 book spoke of the need for workers’ rights and dignity in a time of technological upheaval and economic growth.

The long text also reinforces Leo’s views as an AI skeptic. But Tolkien’s theme is even more apparent in the interpretation behind Middle-earth mythology by right-wing billionaires like Peter Thiel and Elon Musk, who have long been scorned by others. The Lord of the Rings fans. One might think that Leo is trample. (Vatikani did not return a request for comment.)

Apparently, the pope is worried about the ambitions of the tech oligarchs who are rushing to create artificial intelligence that surpasses human abilities. Are they really dreaming of using this tool to cure disease and reverse climate change, or are they building engines of unlimited profit and cultural dominance? It is when he talks about our duty to resist such dark forces that Leo borrows knowledge from Tolkien’s famous wizard, Gandalf: “It is not our part to control all the waves of the world, but to do what is in us to help the years we are settled, to root out evil from the fields we know, so that those who live may be the cleaners of the world.”

This study is a far cry from what Musk and Thiel seem to see in Tolkien’s art.

Thiel named his data analysis company Palantir, after the crystal ball used as a spy tool by the rebel wizard Saruman in the saga; he says he calls his private equity firm, Founders Fund, “precious“This is what the twisted and lustful Gollum calls the one ring, a magical channel of oppressive power.” Almost anyone who meets Tolkien (or a change in his work) can see that he was writing about the destructive effects of such power – in books, the temptation to rule inevitably destroys anyone who succumbs to that same rule – yet they seem to agree with what the author does. knowing everything as evil.

Musk, for his part, said that Tolkien’s epic can be read as an allegory against immigrants, building a wall: “When Tolkien wrote about the hobbits, he was talking about the gentlefolk of the English shires, who do not recognize the dangers that happen far away,” he said. has been sent on X in October. “They were able to live their lives in peace and quiet, but for the protection of the brave men of Gondor.” He gave this incorrect memory of The Lord of the Rings such as the defense of Islamophpbic critic in the UK Tommy Robinson.