{"slug": "letters-pope-leos-concerns-about-ai-are-well-founded", "title": "Letters: Pope Leo’s concerns about AI are well-founded", "summary": "Pope Leo's concerns about artificial intelligence prioritizing technology and profit over human welfare are well-founded, according to a letter writer who argues that humanity loses in the race for AI dominance dominated by a few billionaires. The writer, Patricia Marquez Rutt of Redwood City, says the tech industry's male leadership should learn from the pope's focus on protecting the environment, mental health, and communities.", "body_md": "**Getting your**\n\n[Trinity Audio](//trinityaudio.ai)player ready...**Submit your letter to the editor via this form. Read more Letters to the Editor.**\n\n#### Pope Leo’s AI concerns are well-founded\n\nRe: “[Pope Leo takes issue with AI’s rampant ascent](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/25/technology/pope-ai-silicon-valley.html)” (Page A1, May 26).\n\nAlthough I am not a Catholic, I agree with Pope Leo that humans are more important than technology and profit. What will it cost us in the long term if AI, power and money are the priority for the few billionaires that benefit? Who or what loses in this race to be the top dog? Our humanity loses.\n\nIt’s too bad that this industry is dominated by men because women in tech [are more likely to prioritize](https://www.womentech.net/women-in-tech-empowerment-guide) our environment, our water, our wildlife, our mental health, our livelihoods and our families without sacrificing smart ideas and profit.\n\nAll of us could learn something from Pope Leo because he cares very much about our future here in the U.S. and the rest of the world.\n\n**Patricia Marquez Rutt**\n\n*Redwood City*\n\n#### AI letters lack the human touch\n\nI met AI this week while writing a note to a friend, and it wasn’t good.\n\nAI didn’t like my words and substituted its own. I deleted its choice and re-entered my words, but AI wouldn’t accept mine. I deleted and entered again. And again. I asked my husband for help, and he turned off some computer settings, but AI was undeterred — it kept substituting its words for mine.\n\nI taught English years ago and vary my sentences, even use fragments. No one has told me they didn’t understand what I wrote, though they disagree with my message. My husband said this is the new way. But if I am still annoyed at being unable to use my own words, I can use a browser that doesn’t help by using AI’s words instead of mine. This morning, I installed it and sent a note of my own words to my friend.\n\n**Jean Ricket**\n\n*Saratoga*\n\n#### Shelter leaders focus on care and community\n\nLast week, the Santa Clara County Grand Jury released a highly critical [report](https://santaclara.courts.ca.gov/system/files/civil/san-jose-animal-care-center-need-strengthen-transparency-performance-and-trust.pdf) of the city of San Jose and the operations of its animal shelter under the supervision of Public Works Director Matt Loesch.\n\nThe grand jury report added to two previous audits and a current lawsuit filed this year, all highlighting a familiar pattern of top city administrators mismanaging the shelter, making poor hiring decisions, lacking standard protocols, transparency, consistent data and training, ignoring repeated community concerns and a declining capacity to care while the budget has roughly doubled to $17.2 million in five years.\n\nFor the shelter to succeed, the report says the city “must not only focus on housing and treating animals under its care, but also fully embrace the community it serves — including foster and rescue organizations, volunteers, and its critics — as essential partners in improving outcomes for animals.”\n\n**Michael Wagner**\n\n*Morgan Hill*\n\n#### Base usage fee hurts low-volume users\n\n[AB 205](https://legiscan.com/CA/text/AB205/id/2600089) harms low-volume PG&E users\n\nI’m a PG&E user. My average electricity usage is about 125 kWh a month.\n\nSince the passage of AB 205, my bill has gone up about 50%, even though my usage has stayed the same. This bill significantly harms low-volume users like me.\n\nThanks to AB 205, PG&E now charges folks a base charge, regardless of usage, which harms low-volume users like renters, seniors, folks who live alone, etc.\n\nLawmakers need to realize that they made a mistake with AB 205, and they need to pass legislation waiving the fixed customer charge for low-volume users and revert to the previous billing model.\n\nAB205 is a “use less, pay more” bill, the exact opposite of what California needs when it comes to energy consumption.\n\n**Christopher Saleh**\n\n*Mountain View*\n\n#### Trump family’s crypto business is corrupt\n\nThe Trump family’s growing involvement in cryptocurrency and online betting is fueling accusations of corruption disguised as “deregulation.” Donald Trump Jr.’s reported ties to companies like Polymarket and Crypto.com come as the Commodity Futures Trading Commission reportedly scales back investigations, weakens enforcement and sidelines officials overseeing the crypto industry.\n\nCritics say this looks less like free-market reform and more like politically connected insiders clearing the way for personal profit. Agencies meant to protect the public and ensure fair financial markets appear to be retreating while wealthy allies cash in on risky, lightly regulated industries. Former regulators warn that accountability is fading, public trust is eroding and the line between government power and private enrichment is becoming dangerously blurred.\n\n**Paul Osborn**\n\n*Morgan Hill*\n\n#### Support a day to rally against gun violence\n\n[National Gun Violence Awareness Day](https://www.sandyhookpromise.org/calendar-events/national-gun-violence-awareness-day/) is June 5. People across the United States are coming together for [Wear Orange Weekend](https://wearorange.org/) to honor lives impacted by gun violence and call for safer communities.\n\nPreventing gun violence matters to me because, as a school counselor, I have lost students and friends due to suicide by gun. These tragedies impact me, my family, my students and children in our school communities. I want to prevent more grief and trauma for children by working to prevent gun violence and suicide.\n\nThis is a call for all of us to store and secure guns safely. Please urge lawmakers to support common-sense gun safety measures. Wear orange on Friday, June 5 — Wear Orange Weekend — to demand a future free from gun violence and to remind our communities that everyone has a role to play in keeping one another safe.\n\n**Erica Cosgrove**\n\n*Los Gatos*", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-pope-leos-concerns-about-ai-are-well-founded", "canonical_source": "https://www.mercurynews.com/2026/06/03/letters-pope-leo-concerns-ai-well-founded/", "published_at": "2026-06-03 23:00:44+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-06-03 23:57:00.921389+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "ai-ethics", "ai-policy"], "entities": ["Pope Leo", "Patricia Marquez Rutt", "Redwood City", "Trinity Audio", "New York Times"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-pope-leos-concerns-about-ai-are-well-founded", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-pope-leos-concerns-about-ai-are-well-founded.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-pope-leos-concerns-about-ai-are-well-founded.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/letters-pope-leos-concerns-about-ai-are-well-founded.jsonld"}}