By EMMANUEL NNADOZIE ONWUBIKO

In our contemporary world, professionals are inundated with unending stories about how technological sophistication and advances could take away their crafts, particularly with the emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics. AI and robotics are sometimes portrayed as the factual Deus Ex Machina—the “god from the machine”—capable of literally multiplying wealth for those who possess these technologies.

We have similarly been inundated with fear-mongering tales that several of the skills we currently possess could be rendered obsolete by these scientifically advanced inventions, to the extent that even journalists and professionals and tradespeople such as chefs, drivers, typists, waiters, waitresses and bartenders have been told to prepare for redundancy. Some of the technology leaders funding these advances have also told us that the benefits of these inventions include the creation of enormous wealth.

As these fears grow over how artificial intelligence could reshape the job market and render many professionals redundant, the world's richest technology leader, Elon Musk, has offered what one analyst described as a bold and controversial solution. Musk wrote on X: “Universal HIGH INCOME via checks issued by the Federal government is the best way to deal with unemployment caused by AI.”

Responding to one critic, Musk followed up with another claim: “AI/Robotics will mean everyone can have a penthouse if they want.” In the same breath, the technology mogul reasoned that output would be “orders of magnitude” higher, implying that scarcity would therefore cease to be a major concern.

Even the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics estimates that the use of generative AI (GenAI) could decrease demand for some occupations, including transcriptionists and customer service representatives, over the decade ending in 2033.

But, as one might expect, the picture is considerably more complicated than that. The Bureau also estimates that the use of GenAI could increase demand for some professions, including software engineering, as workers will be needed to maintain the infrastructure upon which AI systems operate.

Experts, including economists and AI developers, have much to say about AI and the future of wealth. Their opinions touch on how much wealth AI and robotics will actually generate, the plausibility of universal basic income, and the future of employment.

The Catholic Church and the Ethics of Technology

The Catholic Church is obviously a major participant in the global conversation on science and technology, and the universal Church places considerable emphasis on ethics and morality in the evolution and development of science and innovation.

Pope Leo XIV has warned pointedly: “We must remain vigilant in this regard, lest innovation become another vehicle for ideological or economic colonialism.”

He has also warned against a subtle form of domination “when algorithms decide who is seen and who remains invisible, when digital platforms shape public discourse without accountability, and when the dignity of workers is subordinated to the optimization of systems.”

Family at the Heart of Legislation

For this reason, the Catholic Church proposes “the civilization of love” as a response to a “culture of power”, arguing that artificial intelligence should be governed through “charity, compassion and responsibility.”

The family, the Pope has said, is at the heart of this response because it is the first place where people learn “trust before calculation, generosity before competition, dialogue before division, and love before power.”

Pope Leo encouraged Catholic lawmakers to promote policies that “strengthen marriage and families”, support parents in “their educational mission” and enable young people to look to the future with confidence.

“Artificial intelligence must never be allowed to erode this primary cell of society—whether by reducing persons and relationships to data and simulations, by flooding young minds with content that distorts desire, or by economic models that make family life economically precarious,” he said.

The Human Limitations of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics

Recently, something happened in China that demonstrates how AI and robotics can only be as viable and effective as human beings allow them to be. The media reported that a bipedal Chinese humanoid robot, allegedly training for the World Humanoid Robot Games, went viral after losing control during a running test.

In a viral video shared by an X user, the robot can be seen running towards a barrier before crashing into it, with its body bending sharply at the waist and sparks coming from the machine.

The dramatic crash prompted social media users to describe the incident as the moment the “robot dies”. The incident reportedly occurred as robots prepared for the 2026 edition of the World Humanoid Robot Games in Beijing, China. The event, which commenced on August 22, was expected to showcase thousands of robots and hundreds of teams.

According to reports, the humanoid robot was participating in a training session for the running competition when it appeared to lose control. In the video, it can be seen running at high speed and failing to stop before hitting a safety barrier.

The Impact caused the robot’s body to bend at the waist, while sparks could be seen coming from the machine. The video was subsequently shared widely on social media and attracted millions of views.

The Incident, while amusing to many observers, also provides an opportunity for a more serious reflection. Artificial intelligence and robotics remain human inventions. Their development, deployment and regulation must therefore remain subject to human judgment, ethical considerations and the broader interests of society.

I want to think alongside what the Catholic Church has said about advances in technology, artificial intelligence and robotics. These technologies should be properly legislated and regulated, with family values, human dignity and the common good placed far above the pursuit of technological sophistication and automation.

Fear-Mongering, Ethics and AI/Robotics

An article published online in a journal concerned with digital technologies and law addresses some of the anxieties surrounding the ethics of digital technologies and the legal governance of AI and robotics.

I agree with the author’s central argument that the purpose of AI was never to harm humanity. Nor was it originally intended to replace human beings or take over the human world. Rather, AI was developed to augment human capabilities, assist scientific discoveries, support people during natural disasters and pandemics, and improve efficiency across numerous areas of human activity.

AI already has numerous applications that can benefit humanity. These include medical care, mechanical engineering, semi-autonomous and autonomous vehicles, automated deliveries in difficult environments such as flood-affected areas, intelligent robotics in various industries, textile engineering, aviation, traffic management and space programmes, among many others.

However, the development of AI has now reached an unprecedented level, and it is increasingly capable of performing tasks traditionally carried out by human beings. Many jobs and workflows are already being transformed or displaced by AI. That development, however, should not necessarily become a source of paralysing fear.

Technological development has historically created new forms of employment even as it eliminated or transformed existing occupations. What remains unclear is the precise balance between jobs lost and new jobs created by the latest wave of automation, particularly because the long-term effects of AI are still unfolding.

This is how technological development has progressed since the Industrial Revolution. Moving into a new domain of work after technology has disrupted an established profession is certainly not easy. We can recall the transformation of the textile industry following computerisation, when many jobs disappeared or changed and affected workers had to adapt to new forms of employment.

Once one area of work becomes obsolete or is fundamentally transformed, another area of development often emerges. When mobile phones became widespread, traditional landline telephone services declined dramatically. Yet the mobile communications industry subsequently created employment for millions of people around the world, from telecommunications engineers and software developers to manufacturers, retailers and service providers.

The lesson, therefore, should not be that humanity must fear every technological advancement. Rather, we must insist that technological progress remains subordinate to human dignity, ethical responsibility and the common good.

AI and robotics can become instruments for human development rather than instruments of human displacement. But achieving that objective requires responsible regulation, ethical leadership and policies that ensure that the benefits of technological advancement are broadly shared.

This is where Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on human dignity, family, responsibility and the common good becomes particularly relevant. The challenge before humanity is not simply whether machines will become more intelligent or capable. The greater question is whether human beings will remain wise enough to ensure that technological progress serves humanity rather than reducing human beings to mere components of an automated economic system.

•Emmanuel Nnadozie Onwubiko is the founder of the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) and a former National Commissioner of the National Human Rights Commission of Nigeria.

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