Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah warned that artificial intelligence could replace human labour on a massive scale, arguing that the development of the technology cannot be left solely in the hands of private companies.
Speaking on Monday during the presentation of Pope Leo's first encyclical focussed on artificial intelligence, Olah said there was a real possibility that AI would displace human labour at very large scale.
“If that happens, supporting those displaced will be a moral imperative of historic proportions,” he said while appearing alongside the pope.
Olah said stronger oversight from governments, religious institutions and civil society groups was essential as AI systems become increasingly powerful.
“Every frontier AI lab ... operates inside a set of incentives and constraints that can sometimes conflict with doing the right thing,” he said, adding that even well-intentioned researchers remain influenced by commercial, geopolitical and personal pressures.
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He said this made external scrutiny critical for the responsible development of AI.
Anthropic, the U.S.-based company behind the Claude AI models, has previously clashed with the administration of Donald Trump over safeguards governing military use of AI. The company has pushed for restrictions on the use of its models for autonomous weapons targeting and domestic surveillance.
Olah welcomed the Catholic Church's growing engagement with AI, saying the ethical challenges posed by the technology extend far beyond the engineering community.
“The questions raised by AI are bigger than the AI research community,” he said, while calling for “earnest, thoughtful critics” who could challenge technology companies and help guide the development of advanced AI systems responsibly.
He identified three major areas requiring urgent attention — the risk of large-scale job displacement, ensuring AI benefits are shared globally, and improving understanding of increasingly complex and opaque AI systems.
“AI development is concentrated in a handful of wealthy nations. How can we ensure the gains of AI are shared globally?” Olah said.
Monday's event marked a rare convergence between the technology industry and the Catholic Church, which has increasingly sought to position itself as a moral voice on the societal implications of rapid advances in artificial intelligence.
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