The future of artificial intelligence has to be human-more, not humanless
Graduating students across several American universities recently booed commencement speakers who brought up AI as a driving force for the future of business and society. At Harvard's Class Day, however, comedian Ronny Chieng was cheered for his humorous and incisive criticism of using AI for tasks that require creativity and critical thinking [4]. He told the graduates: "I'm here to tell you the mission of your generation is to destroy AI, kill it." The next generation of the workforce is pushing back against the relentless, all-encompassing push for AI first and AI everywhere.
AI is more than technology
AI is not only a set of technologies with both powerful and alarming capabilities. It is also an arena for geopolitical power struggles between the world's most influential nations, a vehicle for a new class of technology oligarchs with concentrated and largely self-serving interests, a driver of massive data centre expansion with serious environmental consequences, and global mining and waste management supply chains with both social and ecological costs. It is a means of information warfare and the manipulation of democratic processes. And above all, it represents a serious threat of large-scale human displacement, with all the insecurity, unemployment and loss of dignity that entails.
Here I want to be precise about my own position: AI is not conscious. It has no intent of its own. AI is mathematics applied to large amounts of data. When humans are displaced by AI, it is not a case of technology magically taking over the planet. It is a case of technology being wielded by humans to serve the few at the cost of the many.
The original Luddites
You may have heard the word "Luddite" used to describe someone perceived as opposing technological progress. The label is routinely used as an insult. It deserves more respect than that.
The Luddites were an early 19th-century movement that arose in opposition to the exploitation of workers in the textile industry. They were highly skilled and well organised. Technological innovation enabled the rise of industrialised factories staffed by cheap labour, including the large-scale use of child labour. Industrial investors dismantled craft guilds, sweeping away established norms around apprenticeships, wages, and worker safety. Markets were flooded with inferior goods that undercut the quality standards these craftsmen had spent lifetimes building. The Luddites did not fight against technological development. They fought against exploitation, the degradation of human value, the destruction of their communities, and the eradication of their livelihoods. They organised at night, under the mythical leadership of "General Ned Ludd", and destroyed the machines. The British government responded decisively in favour of the industrial investors: machine-breaking was made a capital offence.
Old questions, new technologies
Today's emerging opposition to AI is grounded in the same fundamental concerns: the right to meaningful employment, decent working and living conditions, a safe environment, and wages and workers' rights that make a dignified life possible. You might think those concerns go without saying in 2026. You would be wrong to assume that. In the United States, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security have created an unpublicised threat category called "anti-tech violent extremism", which groups lawful democratic opposition to AI, such as social media criticism, boycott calls, and attendance at town hall meetings together with domestic terrorism [1].
Rerum Novarum and Magnifica Humanitas
On 15 May 1891, Pope Leo XIII signed Rerum Novarum [3], a landmark encyclical that addressed workers' rights, economic inequality, and the social consequences of rapid industrialisation. In essence, it affirmed the rights that the Luddites had fought for some eighty years earlier.
On 15 May 2026, Pope Leo XIV signed Magnifica Humanitas [2]. The 135th anniversary of Rerum Novarum was no coincidence. To a significant degree, Magnifica Humanitas confirms that the underlying human values and rights set out in Rerum Novarum remain as relevant as ever, now applied to the context of artificial intelligence.
In paragraph 9, Pope Leo XIV writes:
"Technology has the power to heal, connect, educate and protect our common home; but it can also divide, exclude, and generate new forms of injustice. In the abstract, technology in and of itself is not a solution to humanity's problems, just as it is not inherently evil. In practice, however, technology is never neutral, because it takes on the characteristics of those who devise, finance, regulate and use it."
It is worth noting that during the presentation of Magnifica Humanitas, Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah was present and contributed perspectives on the responsibilities borne by large AI companies. This adds a peculiar shade of grey to the encyclical. With Anthropic's IPO approaching, appearing in alignment with the spiritual leader of approximately 1.4 billion people will not be without effect on the company's standing and valuation. The Catholic Church carries its own institutional burdens and controversies, as history makes plain. But the teachings and deliberations of the Vatican remain key reference points for nearly one fifth of the world's population. Magnifica Humanitas will therefore shape how AI is understood and governed across many societies.
The next shift
Throughout history, dominant directions in society have generated the resistance that eventually gave rise to something new. The students booing their commencement speakers may, in time, be seen as early signals of the next shift. A shift towards a more human-centred world.
Ronny Chieng put it well in his Harvard Class Day address:
"I think your generation's upcoming battle won't be humans against AI. That's at least two months away. It's gonna be people with substance versus people with shallow knowledge. It's gonna be mastery versus faking it. It's gonna be people with good taste versus tacky. I trust you will put in the work necessary to be on the right side of those battles."
As business leaders, the future that our children want to live in is yours to shape. They are already telling us what they don’t want. The future has to be human-more, not humanless.
If you would like to bring this discussion into your boardroom or C-suite, please do not hesitate to reach out.
About the author
Elin Hauge is a keynote speaker, AI strategist, and trusted advisor to business leaders and boards. She specialises in helping organisations make sense of artificial intelligence beyond the hype, connecting technology to strategy, governance, and real-world value. With a multidisciplinary background in physics, mathematics, business, and law, Elin brings both analytical rigour and practical perspective. Her talks and advisory work empower leaders to ask better questions, make wiser decisions, and navigate AI with confidence.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Human-centred AI refers to the development and use of artificial intelligence in ways that protect human dignity, meaningful work, and social values rather than prioritising efficiency or automation alone.
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No. The Luddites opposed the exploitation and displacement of workers associated with industrialisation, not technological innovation itself. Their struggle was directed at the social and economic consequences of technological change, rather than the technologies themselves.
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AI raises concerns because it has the potential to reshape labour markets, concentrate economic and political power, influence democratic processes, and affect human dignity and social cohesion. The debate is not only about technology, but also about the values and interests that guide its development and use.
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Technology itself is not neutral in practice. The outcomes of AI depend on the values and decisions of the people and institutions that design, finance, regulate, and use it. Responsible AI therefore requires human leadership, accountability, and a commitment to serving society as a whole.
Resources
[1] Boguslaw, D. (2026, May 26). US law enforcement warns of 'anti-tech extremism' as AI hatred grows. Wired. https://www.wired.com/story/us-law-enforcement-warns-of-anti-tech-extremism/
[2] Leo XIV. (2026, May 25). Magnifica humanitas: On safeguarding the human person in the time of artificial intelligence [Encyklika]. The Holy See. https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/encyclicals/documents/20260515-magnifica-humanitas.html
[3] Leo XIII. (1891). Rerum novarum: On capital and labor [Encyklika]. The Holy See. https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_l-xiii_enc_15051891_rerum-novarum.html
[4] Harvard University. (2026, May 30). Ronny Chieng address: Harvard Class Day 2026 [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORq_Hi5dB-g