When a U.S. Pope and one of America's most progressive senators agree on something, it's worth paying attention. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) amplified Pope Leo XIV's Friday address calling for ethical AI development, and the message was clear: artificial intelligence needs to work for everyone, not just the tech elite.

The Pope's Warning on Human Dignity

Speaking at the "Artificial Intelligence and Care of Our Common Home" conference—organized by the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation and the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities—Pope Leo XIV delivered a pointed message about humanity's relationship with technology.

Humans are "called to be co-workers in the work of creation, not merely passive consumers of content generated by artificial technology," the Pope stressed. He emphasized that human dignity fundamentally rests in our ability to reflect, make choices freely, love unconditionally, and form authentic relationships. As the first U.S. pope, Leo XIV argued that protecting these essential human qualities must guide how we manage AI's societal and ethical consequences.

Sanders: Technology Must Benefit All, Not Just The Rich

Sanders shared the Pope's address on X, highlighting the warning that AI could funnel wealth and power into fewer and fewer hands. The Senator pulled no punches about what's at stake.

"We must demand that the benefits of this technology work for all, not just the rich," Sanders wrote, referencing Pope Leo XIV's concerns about AI development prioritizing elite interests over the common good.

Who Really Controls AI Development?

This isn't Sanders' first rodeo on this topic. Last month at a Georgetown University forum, he joined forces with AI pioneer Geoffrey Hinton to sound the alarm. Their shared concern? AI could genuinely improve lives, but only if its development isn't exclusively guided by tech billionaires' interests.

Sanders posed the critical question: who actually controls AI? He specifically questioned whether massive investments by figures like Tesla Inc. (TSLA), SpaceX, and xAI CEO Elon Musk or Amazon.com, Inc. (AMZN) founder Jeff Bezos truly aim to benefit workers, improve healthcare, or advance climate initiatives.

The pattern troubles him. While AI and robotics have genuine potential to reduce dangerous labor and boost productivity, workers typically don't share in those gains. Sanders pointed to ongoing struggles over shorter workweeks as evidence that productivity improvements don't automatically translate to worker benefits.

The $400 Billion Question

Silicon Valley is pouring unprecedented amounts into AI development. The "Magnificent Seven"—Apple Inc. (AAPL), Microsoft Corp (MSFT), Alphabet Inc. (GOOG) (GOOGL), Amazon (AMZN), Meta Platforms, Inc. (META), Nvidia Corp (NVDA) and Tesla (TSLA)—are expected to spend close to $400 billion on AI infrastructure in 2025 alone.

That's not pocket change. It's roughly the GDP of Austria. And with that kind of capital concentration, the questions Sanders and Pope Leo XIV are raising become more urgent: Will this technology reduce inequality or amplify it? Will it free workers from drudgery or simply make their labor obsolete without providing alternatives? Will the gains be broadly shared or narrowly captured?

The debate isn't about whether AI is good or bad—it's about who decides how it's used and who benefits from it. As both a religious leader and a progressive senator see it, those are questions that can't be left solely to the people writing the biggest checks.