Simon Willison: Notes on Pope Leo XIV's AI Encyclical — Draws Parallel to Leo XIII's Industrial Revolution Response

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Simon Willison published detailed notes on the Magnifica Humanitas encyclical on May 25, highlighting that Pope Leo XIV chose his name in honor of Leo XIII who issued Rerum Novarum addressing social upheaval during the first industrial revolution. Willison notes the encyclical's surprisingly accessible writing style and AI-specific technical engagement. He listened to it via ElevenReader, itself an AI voice app — a meta-commentary on the technology the encyclical addresses.