Pope Uses Lord of the Rings to Criticize Tech Leaders
Pope Leo XIV quotes famous wizard Gandalf in letter about artificial intelligence dangers.
The Pope is worried about tech billionaires like Elon Musk and Peter Thiel. He thinks they might be building AI systems that are too powerful. These systems could control people instead of helping them. The Pope wants to make sure humans stay in charge of technology.
Some tech leaders have named their companies after things from The Lord of the Rings. Peter Thiel named his company Palantir after a magic crystal ball that spies on people. He also calls his investment company 'the precious,' like the evil ring in the story. This shows he might not understand Tolkien's real message about power being dangerous.
Elon Musk has also misunderstood Tolkien's books. He said the stories were about keeping outsiders away from safe places. He used this wrong idea to defend someone who says bad things about Muslims. Most fans of The Lord of the Rings disagree with Musk's view of the story.
The Pope quoted Gandalf to teach a different lesson. Gandalf said people should focus on doing good in their own time and place. They should fight evil where they can see it. This way, future generations will have a better world to live in.
It is not our part to master all the tides of the world, but to do what is in us for the succour of those years wherein we are set, uprooting the evil in the fields that we know, so that those who live after may have clean earth to till.
Comprehension quiz preview
1. What is the name of the Pope's letter about artificial intelligence?
2. Which character from The Lord of the Rings did the Pope quote?
3. What does Peter Thiel call his investment company?