Pope Leo Schooled the Tech Bros on Tolkien

# Pope References Tolkien to Warn About AI Power Pope Francis cited *The Lord of the Rings* in his official letter about artificial intelligence, using the famous ring as a metaphor for how power corrupts—a subtle jab at tech billionaires who often misuse Tolkien's work to justify their own ambitions. The Pope's point: like the ring in the story, advanced AI is seductive and dangerous, and those who wield it tend to overestimate their ability to control it responsibly. It's a reminder that even the smartest people can fall prey to the same temptations Tolkien warned about nearly 70 years ago.