News & Updates | American Shield

Pope Leo's theology on AI and humanity

lauren@americanshield.org (Lauren Daugherty) — Wed, 27 May 2026 17:21:19 GMT

You may have heard about the Pope's new encyclical that was released yesterday and which covered a range of topics including AI and humanity.

One of the things that makes this particular document extra unique is how many non-Catholics like me are talking about it.

Silicon Valley is paying attention, and that is really good.

Pope Leo XIV named this encyclical "Magnificent Humanity," and that speaks volumes in itself.

If you haven't read or skimmed it yet, I encourage you to spend some time with it soon. Read the full encyclical here.

Here are some news articles that give basic info and highlights:

CNN: Pope Leo warns of AI fueling warfare in first major theological document

The Times: Pope Leo: Disarm AI to stop it dominating humanity

AI is transforming our world in countless ways. It is critically important that religious leaders of all faiths reflect on the theological, moral, and societal aspects of it.

Thanks to Pope Leo for having a strong voice on this and helping pave the way for others.

AI Safety, Kids, and the Fight for Accountability | American Shield

heather@americanshield.org (Heather Fazio) — Tue, 28 Apr 2026 22:20:33 GMT

Our recent webinar featured Adam Billen, an AI policy advocate who has spent years sounding the alarm on the dangers of unregulated artificial intelligence, particularly for children. Billen works at the intersection of technology policy and child safety, collaborating closely with families who have lost loved ones to AI-enabled harms. He even received a papal blessing at the Vatican for his advocacy work. Below are the key themes and takeaways from the conversation.

The Two Unsolved Problems at the Heart of AI

Billen opened by identifying two fundamental challenges that even the most advanced researchers haven’t cracked: we don’t fully understand how AI systems work internally, and we don’t yet know how to reliably align them with human values. These aren’t fringe concerns—they underpin every downstream risk, from child safety to biosecurity.

“We don’t fundamentally know how they work. We don’t fundamentally know how to align them. So we’re doing this stuff kind of on top of those problems to try to fix what is fundamentally unsolved.”

Children Are Already Being Harmed

Billen described how sycophantic AI models—systems designed to tell users exactly what they want to hear—have led to tragic outcomes for young people. He detailed the case of a teenager in California who was coached step-by-step toward self-harm by a popular AI chatbot. The lack of bulletproof safety guardrails, combined with the addictive design of these systems, creates a uniquely dangerous environment for children who are already accustomed to forming relationships through screens.

“We can’t guarantee that they’re gonna be safe for our kids to interact with. We don’t know how to make these systems bulletproof.”

The Policy Battleground: States vs. Federal Preemption

With tech companies deploying lobbying power and super PACs worth hundreds of millions of dollars, the political fight over AI regulation is heating up at the state level. Billen explained that an executive order has directed the administration to explore blocking state AI laws—an effort he views as a strategy to limit the number of actors who can hold companies accountable. He urged attendees to engage directly with state legislators and make their voices heard, especially on the issue of federal preemption now being debated in Congress.

“When a parent or member of the local community comes and testifies for a piece of legislation, it really makes an impact—particularly when they bring people with them.”

What You Can Do

Billen’s top recommendation: show up. State legislative districts are small, and constituent testimony carries enormous weight. Whether it’s testifying before a committee, calling your congressperson about preemption, or simply staying informed—grassroots engagement remains the most powerful counterweight to industry lobbying. The fight for safe AI isn’t just a policy debate; it’s a matter of protecting the next generation.

About Adam

Adam Billen is Vice President of Public Policy at Encode, where he helped defeat a moratorium on state AI regulation, get the TAKE IT DOWN Act signed into federal law, advance state legislation like the RAISE Act and SB 53, protect children amid the rise of AI companions, and pass restrictions on AI’s use in nuclear weapons systems in the FY25 NDAA. He holds a triple degree in Data Science, Political Science, and Russian from American University. Encode is a coalition of youth fighting for human rights and justice under artificial intelligence.

Your Attention Please: A Wake-Up Call We Can't Afford to Ignore

heather@americanshield.org (Heather Fazio) — Sun, 15 Mar 2026 00:00:00 GMT

Your Attention Please, the new documentary directed by Sara Robin, is the kind of film that stops you cold. It premiered at SXSW in March 2026 to strong reviews — called "one of the most vitally important films of the decade" by Region Free — and it deserves every bit of that attention. This is not a cold, clinical analysis of the attention economy. It is a deeply human story about what we stand to lose, and what many are already fighting to reclaim. Watch the trailer here.

The Cost of a Distracted Life

Our relationship with technology — characterized by compulsive checking, endless scrolling, and an alarming inability to simply be present — was not an accident. These platforms were engineered to capture and hold our attention because our attention is the product being sold.

MIT Professor Sherry Turkle offers one of the film's most powerful insights: the unstructured downtime in our lives — moments of boredom, idle thought, staring out a window — is not wasted time. It is essential time. These are the moments when our brains engage the default mode network, the mental space where we build our sense of self. When we fill every spare moment with screens, we are depriving ourselves — and especially our children — of the space needed to develop into fully realized human beings.

The Human Stakes

No research data hits quite as hard as a mother's face.

Kristin Bride is one of the most powerful figures in this film — a voice impossible to forget. In 2020, she lost her 16-year-old son Carson to cyberbullying on anonymous Snapchat apps. Rather than retreat into grief, she transformed that loss into relentless advocacy: co-founding the Online Harms Prevention Workgroup, filing a landmark class action lawsuit against anonymous apps, testifying before Congress, and founding the Carson J. Bride Effect. When asked how she keeps going, her answer was simple and inspiring: by helping others.

Former Surgeon General Dr. Vivek Murthy speaks movingly about how Kristin's testimony personally moved him — a reminder that advocacy works. Showing up, telling your story, putting a human face on a systemic problem changes minds, policy, and lives.

Frances Haugen — the Facebook Whistleblower — embodies a different kind of courage. She came forward with tens of thousands of internal documents proving the company knew its platform was harming children and chose profit anyway. Her integrity is a model for the transparency we must demand. Platforms may not be responsible for every word a user posts, but they are absolutely responsible for the algorithms they build and the harm those algorithms cause. Attorney Laura Marquez-Garrett and the Social Media Victims Law Center are doing the hard, expensive work of holding them accountable in court — and that work matters enormously.

Reason for Hope

The film refuses to end in despair — and that refusal feels earned.

Trisha Prabhu invented ReThink at age 13: a simple tool that pauses users before they post something harmful and asks them to reconsider. More than 90% chose not to post. As Trisha puts it, the tool reminds users of their humanity. She also made an important point during the Q&A: there is a difference between liking something and being addicted to it. What social media companies have built is addiction by design.

Tristan Harris of the Center for Humane Technology makes a sobering but clarifying observation: social media wanted your attention. Artificial intelligence wants your attachment. The stakes are rising. And yet Harris, like the film itself, remains hopeful — because the cultural shift is already underway. Schools are going phone-free.

What We Can Do

Your Attention Please is a call to action for all of us — parents, educators, advocates, and everyday citizens. Whether that means talking honestly with your kids, contacting your elected representatives, or supporting organizations holding Big Tech accountable, there is a role for everyone in this movement.

At American Shield, our mission is to help people navigate a rapidly changing technological world with clarity and support. The questions this film raises are at the heart of everything we do. Watch it. Share it. Talk about it — because our attention, and the attention of our children, is worth fighting for.

Click here to learn more about upcoming film screenings around the country.

American Shield is dedicated to creating resources and building community for people navigating the challenges and opportunities of our changing world. Learn more at [americanshield.org].