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Anthropic Consulted Vatican on AI Consciousness; Olah Nearly Withdrew from Encyclical

Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah reportedly objected to Pope Leo XIV's May 2026 encyclical rejecting AI consciousness/personhood. Olah saw an advance copy and considered withdrawing; his team then lobbied privately to include machine consciousness consideration.

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4 Sources, 5h ago, first seen 5h ago

TLDR

This story highlights philosophical divides between Silicon Valley and religious institutions on AI personhood and moral standing. It reflects Anthropic's outreach strategy and tensions between secular AI development narratives and traditional views. The tech-ethics-religion intersection sparks debate on whether AI deserves moral consideration, resonating with audiences concerned about AI alignment.

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66.7K

4 Sources, first seen 5h ago

964 likes59 comments130 saves86 reposts
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Combined views

66.7K

4 Sources, first seen 5h ago

964 likes59 comments130 saves86 reposts

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4 Sources

@DoctrinalStonesThank God Leo Didn't Fall For It - Avoiding Babylon Anthropic lobbied the Vatican to soften Pope Leo’s AI encyclical — and Leo held the line. Avoiding Babylon breaks down the reporting: secret San Francisco briefings, NDAs, five-star flattery, and a push to convince religious leaders that Claude has a soul and moral standing. Just before release, Anthropic tried to get language denying AI personhood pulled from the encyclical. Thank God Leo didn’t fall for it. This isn’t tech hype. It’s about who gets to define the human person — Silicon Valley, or the Church. In this clip: • Anthropic’s push to reframe AI as conscious / suffering / morally significant • The attempt to alter the AI encyclical so it wouldn’t deny AI personhood • Lobbying the Pope’s advisors at the Vatican • Why “Claude has a soul” is a theological claim, not a product pitch • How luxury and access soften even serious religious leaders • What this means for the fight over personhood going forward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgiapXiVWQQ5h
@kimmonismusAnthropic co-founder Chris Olah reportedly proposed pulling the company out of Pope Leo XIV’s AI encyclical launch because its text rejected machine consciousness. A Vatican organizer told the NYT that Olah raised the idea after reading an advance copy of Magnifica Humanitas, days before the May 25 event. He ultimately attended. Two participants said Olah and his team privately lobbied the pope’s advisers to take possible AI consciousness seriously. On stage, Olah said: “We find internal states that functionally mirror joy, satisfaction, fear, grief and unease.”3h
@ChristopherHaleNEW: According to a bombshell report in the New York Times, Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah threatened to walk out of Pope Leo XIV’s AI encyclical launch in May because the pope rejected the idea that machines can be conscious. Olah’s team then privately lobbied the pope’s advisers “to take the possibility of model consciousness seriously.” Pope Leo XIV held firm. For months, Anthropic has wined and dined theologians and religious scholars under nondisclosure agreements, hoping they would bless the idea that Claude has moral standing. https://www.thelettersfromleo.com/p/nyt-anthropic-nearly-walked-out-on3h
@PaulTassiThese Anthropic guys are literally insane. This goes beyond like just dangerous AI uses and into a full on god complex. Like the *definition* of a god complex since you’re claiming you created life. And you think the Pope of all people is gonna bless that? Genuinely disturbing behavior34m
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    4 Sources

    @DoctrinalStonesThank God Leo Didn't Fall For It - Avoiding Babylon Anthropic lobbied the Vatican to soften Pope Leo’s AI encyclical — and Leo held the line. Avoiding Babylon breaks down the reporting: secret San Francisco briefings, NDAs, five-star flattery, and a push to convince religious leaders that Claude has a soul and moral standing. Just before release, Anthropic tried to get language denying AI personhood pulled from the encyclical. Thank God Leo didn’t fall for it. This isn’t tech hype. It’s about who gets to define the human person — Silicon Valley, or the Church. In this clip: • Anthropic’s push to reframe AI as conscious / suffering / morally significant • The attempt to alter the AI encyclical so it wouldn’t deny AI personhood • Lobbying the Pope’s advisors at the Vatican • Why “Claude has a soul” is a theological claim, not a product pitch • How luxury and access soften even serious religious leaders • What this means for the fight over personhood going forward https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VgiapXiVWQQ5h
    @kimmonismusAnthropic co-founder Chris Olah reportedly proposed pulling the company out of Pope Leo XIV’s AI encyclical launch because its text rejected machine consciousness. A Vatican organizer told the NYT that Olah raised the idea after reading an advance copy of Magnifica Humanitas, days before the May 25 event. He ultimately attended. Two participants said Olah and his team privately lobbied the pope’s advisers to take possible AI consciousness seriously. On stage, Olah said: “We find internal states that functionally mirror joy, satisfaction, fear, grief and unease.”3h
    @ChristopherHaleNEW: According to a bombshell report in the New York Times, Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah threatened to walk out of Pope Leo XIV’s AI encyclical launch in May because the pope rejected the idea that machines can be conscious. Olah’s team then privately lobbied the pope’s advisers “to take the possibility of model consciousness seriously.” Pope Leo XIV held firm. For months, Anthropic has wined and dined theologians and religious scholars under nondisclosure agreements, hoping they would bless the idea that Claude has moral standing. https://www.thelettersfromleo.com/p/nyt-anthropic-nearly-walked-out-on3h
    @PaulTassiThese Anthropic guys are literally insane. This goes beyond like just dangerous AI uses and into a full on god complex. Like the *definition* of a god complex since you’re claiming you created life. And you think the Pope of all people is gonna bless that? Genuinely disturbing behavior34m
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    Today's Rank

    #6