Pope Leo XIV cites Tolkien in encyclical warning about AI and human dignity

Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, "Magnifica humanitas," cites J.R.R. Tolkien alongside traditional saints to warn about safeguarding human dignity in the age of artificial intelligence. Bluesky coverage reports the document uses The Lord of the Rings as a framework to critique tech billionaires who have misinterpreted Tolkien's work. The encyclical draws from Pope Francis's warnings about technology's dominance, arguing that Tolkien's themes of power and corruption offer a corrective to Silicon Valley's utopian visions of AI.