In his new encyclical on AI, Magnificat Humanitas, Pope Leo seeks to lead a global conversation on the need to ensure that human dignity guides us in this brave new world. Angst about AI in education often focuses on impact in learning and teaching, yet the moral challenges posed by the unethical use of AI threaten not just academic standards but our humanity itself.
Just three years ago, a journalist contacted Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese for comment about the risks of AI. At the time, our Education leaders were confident that a good teacher could tell the difference between AI and a student. I’ll hazard a guess this is no longer the case as students become more adept at making the most of the platforms: “ChatGPT/Gemini/Copilot, write me a short answer to the following question at the level of an Australian Year 8 student”, removing the em dashes and throwing in a few spelling mistakes for authenticity.
Students sometimes also share cautionary tales about teachers using AI in ways that may not reflect best practices. We must always remember the human strength of the teacher-student connection. Even we grown-ups are tempted to turn to AI in a pinch, and there are times when this is appropriate. It’s good for all of us to be thoughtful about this. It’s neither realistic nor desirable to resist AI, but how can we appropriately mitigate risks and harms?
I’m nostalgic for the good old-fashioned ways of cheating … whether buying essays from bright graduates or getting a mate to do your homework. AI cheats smarter. Of course, we need a fresh approach to assessment that takes into account the possibility that students may be using AI and is upfront about it. To ensure that assessment is not focused on output alone, but also on the process that shows critical thinking and understanding. We need to reconsider teaching and learning methods and find fair new ways to genuinely assess student learning.
For our young people at school, there’s a real risk that poor use of AI leads to a loss of learning and outsourced thinking. At its worst, it can be downright degrading. I am reminded of the all too many cases of the images of children, young people and school staff being distorted without their permission in unkindness or even as deep-fake pornography. Of the desperately sad example of a young person being instructed to take their own life by their AI companion. The simple loss of genuine connection and social contact as humans seek the endlessly compliant affirmation of a bot rather than the messiness of friendship or even love.
Since Pope Leo XIV was elected last year, we’ve become used to hearing him speak out about war and political matters some would see as secular. In releasing his first encyclical, he signals that he is seeking a broad audience: the circular letter is addressed not just to senior clerics but to all people of the Catholic faith, to all Christians, and indeed to “all men and women of goodwill”. The theme is the pressing matter of “the protection of the human person in the age of AI”. Significantly, Pope Leo was joined not just by a squad of senior Catholic leaders, including Cardinals and academics, but also by Christopher Olah, the co-founder of American AI company Anthropic. Anthropic, the creators of AI Claude, have a strong focus on safety, and add serious corporate heft to the conversation.
When American Cardinal Robert Prevost chose the papal name “Leo XIV”, Vatican watchers pointed to the legacy of Pope Leo XIII. In particular, Pope Leo XIII himself wrote an encyclical, Rerum Novarum, which established contemporary Catholic Social Teaching and had a major impact on workers’ rights globally. This Pope was never going to be satisfied with sticking to heavenly matters.
Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnificat Humanitas is all about what it means to be human. Though there is a particularly Christian understanding of anthropology, I think the world (and schools, including students and staff) could use some thought about what sets us apart from technology, including reason and faith. Perhaps we could all learn something from that, including those of us dedicated to educating young people as critical thinkers, citizens and leaders for the future.
Jack de Groot
Jack de Groot leads 80 Catholic schools across Western Sydney as Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese. Shaped by a working life that includes social and public policy advocacy in Victoria, supporting school leadership teams for the Catholic Education Office in Western Australia, addressing injustice as Chief Executive Officer of Caritas Australia and the St Vincent de Paul Society NSW, Jack brings a strong focus on Catholic values, social outreach and mission to his work and writing.