Headed for good

"Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moves on the earth." (Gen. 1:28) These words of the Bible, which open the way to the history of humanity, are well known and should be meditated upon in every age, because the Creator gives to humanity all the reality that He has found beautiful and good, and over which man must dominate. It is the fruit of His genius, His imagination, and His love.

Fertility and dominion over creation are the gifts that God gave to humanity before withdrawing (only apparently) and leaving to the beloved creature the task of managing the wonder of creation. Sacred Scripture calls this step back by God "the rest of the seventh day," which finds its visible sign in the Sabbath, the day on which the Chosen People are not to work. This rest of God has a profound meaning: the greatness of creation is placed in the hands, in the mind, and in the heart of man. "Be fruitful" is not only linked to procreation, but also to all the work by which man makes the inheritance received from the Creator grow, develop, and flourish. To fill the earth and subdue it is a difficult but grandiose task; and to dominate does not mean to lord it over, but to guide it toward ever higher and more complex goals. By bringing the gift received to its fullness, man discovers ever new wonders and reveals the infinite beauty and goodness of God. Today we find ourselves faced with Artificial Intelligence, and this brings with it a challenge, almost a duel, as if it wanted to oust its inventor from dominion over the earth. However, he has no right to surrender his task: dominating is a mandate received from God and cannot be ceded to anyone or anything.

To dominate does not mean to crush or exploit, but to direct everything toward its purpose, and for this reason the Lord has equipped man with intelligence and heart: with intelligence, he understands the true purpose of himself and of the things that surround and help him, and with heart, he finds the strength not to abandon his task and let things unfold unpredictably. One of the fields in which this occurs, with positive or negative consequences, but burdening people with great responsibility, is politics. Its true purpose is the care of the common good, but it often becomes selfish and oppressive power.

Mankind has always found itself having to hold the fruit of its genius in its grasp and direct it toward good, which is always a common good. I don't know with what Cain killed his brother, but everything discovered or invented has been used to do good and help grow, or to kill, crush, or disfigure creation and the human person. Atomic energy, not least, was used. Cain paved the way for destruction and death, and Noah had to refocus the human heart on worship, justice, and life, almost giving rise to a new humanity. Jesus brought the world back to salvation by loving it so much that he gave his life.

Today we are faced with Artificial Intelligence: either we act with integrity, aiming for the common good, which will greatly enhance it, and safeguard our freedom to continue building our common home, or we burden it with the evil that inhabits us, and we will be crushed and enslaved by it. There is nothing new, and man is always challenged by the "rest of God" who places all that is his in his hands. But even in his apparent "non-existence," he is the guardian and protector of his creation.


Cesare Falletti
NP May 2025