Search

“AI for the Common Good: Magnifica Humanitas and the Merit of an Uncertain Future”

Monday, November 16, 2026
5:00 p.m.–6:30 p.m. ET
111 Wartik Laboratory
“AI for the Common Good: Magnifica Humanitas and the Merit of an Uncertain Future”
Robert M. Geraci

The first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV, Magnifica Humanitas, valorizes humanity as the creation of God, rejecting the primacy of technological development and its market logic. The encyclical rejects transhumanist dreams of transcendent AI and technologically evolving into a new form of life. It thus rests in a curious place between the Christian heritage that led to transhumanism and the opportunity to construct a technological vision of human flourishing. Magnifica Humanitas turns toward a collective vision of shelter but meeting that goal might require a humbler approach to technology, the uncertainty of the future, and the nature of life itself.

Hybrid Event
Book cover for Futureproofing Humanity by Robert M Geraci. Featuring a machine in space.
Book cover for Futureproofing Humanity by Robert M Geraci. Featuring a machine in space.
111 Wartik Laboratory

Our events and programs are open to all students regardless of sex, gender, sexual orientation, race, or any other protected class.
The College of the Liberal Arts is committed to building a community of belonging for all.