Anthropic's Vatican Alliance Raises 'Vatican-Washing' Concerns Among AI Critics

June 1, 2026

Raises questions as Anthropic co-founder Chris Olah joined Pope Leo XIV at a Vatican ceremony warning about AI's dangers
Critics argue Anthropic's core business model of automating jobs directly contradicts Leo's encyclical on worker dignity
Experts warn the partnership risks producing 'feelgood' discourse without genuine critical self-examination from either side
Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has himself warned of apocalyptic white-collar job losses driven by AI automation
Anthropic committed $50bn to AI infrastructure expansion, conflicting with Leo's call for more sustainable data centers
Both parties align on AI warfare ethics; Anthropic's refusal to supply autonomous weapons led to a Trump administration blacklisting