My family and I live in the Arizona desert where the water is scarce and the temperature rises to 110 degrees for successive months. There are two data centers less than a mile from our house. In Phoenix alone there are 194 data centers, with more in the suburbs. I’m not a Roman Catholic nor attached to any religion, but when someone with authority and influence has the courage to offer reasonable solutions to a potential apocalyptic end to humanity, I pay close attention. It’s time to demand a response from our institutional leaders and the Hierophant has offered one.^[1]

On May 15 of this year, the Hierophant spoke to the world about the growing problem of “a technocratic and post-human mentality that tends to regard the human person as an object.” His purpose was to unknowledge an immediate need for a global response to AI and the need to “Safeguarding the Human Person.” He did not refute the positive uses of artificial intelligence. But he was direct about his concern over the rapid and unregulated application of AI in war, its undermining human dignity, weakening of educational systems, questioning of personal health care, and attack on the work force. The Hierophant went so far as to identify unemployment as a “grave evil” heading toward a “social calamity.”

The Hierophant’s document is written for the everyday person without regard to their religion, creed, or lack thereof. Even without its biblical bias, the Hierophant’s critique of the currently unregulated development of AI is clear cut. And his common-sense solutions could be applied immediately if there were the political will and courage to do so. But in America it is obvious that the Emperor only has the appetite for more personal wealth at the expense of our jobs and health. 

The Hierophant’s letter to the global population went to the heart of the troubles of AI and its developers.

• The speed at which AI is being developed leaves little room for the time needed to develop an ethical system on its innovation and force. To date, AI is being developed and employed without boundaries.
• The creation and maintenance of the data centers needed to facilitate AI systems are consuming energy and water and an unsustainable rate. 
• AI systems present themselves as neutral where in truth they reflect the bias and ideology of their developers and designers. 
• A possible unintended, or not so unintended, result is a new form of slavery, particularly sex-trafficking and the subjugation of workers forced to keep pace with the speed of technology. 

His solutions seem simple and that’s what makes them so attractive.

• There must be an accepted and shared responsibility between business, education communities, other affected institutions, and government in creating AI systems with ethical guardrails. Their goal is to establish regulations that protect human well-being and the ecology can be done without stifling AI innovation.
• Workers must be protected, including their jobs, health, and dignity. 
• Truth and transparency must be at the heart of AI creators, designers, developers, and companies at large. If the consumers know the potential downsides, they can then choose for themselves at what level they will engage with AI.

Given that the Hierophant is a religious leader, for those of you who do attend some sort of religious service where sermons are offered, you might ask your clergy person to make the pledge to not use AI in the preparation of their sermons. The pledge can be made at http://saintdunstanpledge.org/^[2]

^[1] Until 1909 with the original issue of the Rider-Waite deck drawn by Pamela Colman Smith, the fifth card of the Major Arcana was known at the Pope.

^[2] I read the Encyclical Letter and I did not use AI to write this post.