Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah said on Monday that artificial intelligence development should not be controlled only by technology companies. He called for stronger oversight from governments, religious leaders and civil society.
Speaking at the presentation of Pope Leo’s first encyclical on artificial intelligence, Olah warned that AI could lead to large-scale job displacement. He said there is a real possibility that many jobs could be replaced by AI systems.
He stressed that if this happens, supporting displaced workers would become a major moral responsibility for society.
Olah also said that AI companies operate under strong commercial, political and personal pressures that may conflict with what is best for society. According to him, these incentives can sometimes make it difficult for companies to always act in the public interest, even when researchers have good intentions. He said this is why external oversight is necessary.
Anthropic, the U.S.-based company behind the Claude AI system, has previously faced disagreements with political authorities, including over rules that limit the military use of AI such as autonomous weapons targeting and domestic surveillance.
Olah welcomed the involvement of the Catholic Church in discussions on artificial intelligence, saying the ethical issues around AI go far beyond engineering and the tech industry.
He highlighted three key concerns: the risk of large-scale job losses, ensuring that AI benefits are shared globally, and the challenge of understanding increasingly complex AI systems.
He also pointed out that AI development is currently concentrated in a small number of wealthy countries, raising concerns about global inequality. He asked how the benefits of AI can be distributed more fairly around the world.
The event marked a rare meeting between the technology sector and the Catholic Church, as both engage in discussions about the moral and social impact of rapidly advancing artificial intelligence.
