The Pope’s Screed Against Human Intelligence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXTCE3rXfH4 Podcast audio: In this episode of the Ayn Rand Institute podcast, Ben Bayer and Connor O’Leary discuss Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical about AI. Topics include: Valid questions, backwards approach Concerning near-universal acclaim Dependence on religious morality Faith-based moral concepts Appealing to fear and resentment Hostility to human intelligence We need a rational morality Resources: Ayn Rand, “Requiem for Man,” Capitalism the Unknown Ideal Anthropic vs. Trump: The Moral Responsibility of Tech Companies, Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, March 12, 2026 Marketing AI Without Empowering Resentment, Ayn Rand Institute Podcast, April 23, 2026 Ben Bayer, How to Build a Secular Morality, New Ideal, June 10, 2026 (just came out yesterday) This episode was recorded on June 5, 2026. Image credits: Pope: Carlos Alvarez / Contributor / via Getty Images; Circuit: haydenbird / E+ / via Getty Images