Notes on Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical on AI

#1

Post by pretext » Tue, May 26, 2026, 4:45 AM UTC

Notes on Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical on AI
simonwillison.net

Re: Notes on Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical on AI

#2

Post by esperent » Tue, May 26, 2026, 5:33 AM UTC

Earlier post on the actual Vatican document

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=48265206

Re: Notes on Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical on AI

#3

Post by Kwpolska » Tue, May 26, 2026, 5:44 AM UTC

Where are the notes in this post? I can only see a bunch of quotes and zero original thought of the author.

Re: Notes on Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical on AI

#4

Post by KPGv2 » Tue, May 26, 2026, 5:50 AM UTC

Kwpolska wrote: post #3

Where are the notes in this post? I can only see a bunch of quotes and zero original thought of the author.

Quote selection is, of course, representative of original thought of the author.

Re: Notes on Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical on AI

#5

Post by the-grump » Tue, May 26, 2026, 5:53 AM UTC

KPGv2 wrote: post #4

Kwpolska wrote: post #3

Where are the notes in this post? I can only see a bunch of quotes and zero original thought of the author.

Quote selection is, of course, representative of original thought of the author.

Still they are not notes, which means GP continues to be valid.

Re: Notes on Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical on AI

#6

Post by aabhay » Tue, May 26, 2026, 5:59 AM UTC

Kwpolska wrote: post #3

Where are the notes in this post? I can only see a bunch of quotes and zero original thought of the author.

When you took notes in class was it required of you to add original thought for it to be notes?

Re: Notes on Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical on AI

#7

Post by nilirl » Tue, May 26, 2026, 6:05 AM UTC

Kwpolska wrote: post #3

Where are the notes in this post? I can only see a bunch of quotes and zero original thought of the author.

HN has influencers like any other community. In this case, the upvotes are for the author and not the post.

Re: Notes on Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical on AI

#8

Post by Kwpolska » Tue, May 26, 2026, 6:21 AM UTC

aabhay wrote: post #6

Kwpolska wrote: post #3

Where are the notes in this post? I can only see a bunch of quotes and zero original thought of the author.

When you took notes in class was it required of you to add original thought for it to be notes?

Taking notes in class is akin to making a transcript of what the teacher said in class so you can remember and refer to what was said in class. The encyclical is a written document, so there is no need for a transcript, and "notes" implies commentary and analysis.

Re: Notes on Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical on AI

#9

Post by basisword » Tue, May 26, 2026, 12:01 PM UTC

Kwpolska wrote: post #3

Where are the notes in this post? I can only see a bunch of quotes and zero original thought of the author.

I think it's just a poorly worded title. "Highlights from x" would be more clear. "Notes on" suggests some commentary.

Re: Notes on Pope Leo XIV's Encyclical on AI

#10

Post by sometimelurker » Tue, May 26, 2026, 2:36 PM UTC

I really liked paragraph 153, 3ed down from here (https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/encyclicals/docume...). I just love how it mixes really abstract ideas with actual concrete problems. really well written

Also Leo XIV has a degree in math, so he totally gets the interpretability problems with AI on deeper level than otherwise ("...current AI systems are more “cultivated” than “built,...")