Pope Leo XIV has just released the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas on artificial intelligence. The central statement is blunt: “Technology is never neutral.” This is not a religious opinion. It's a technical and economic observation. The encyclical calls on everyone to “act with courage and solidarity” in the face of the greatest change since the printing press. If for the Vatican it's an ethical appeal, for those working in digital in Italy it's a concrete warning.
Why does it matter? Because the claim of technological neutrality is the Trojan horse of Big Tech. We see it every day in the projects that come to us: a company adopts a “free” AI tool without asking where the data goes, who processes it, or what business model is hidden behind it. A cloud CRM that becomes impossible to migrate. An AI assistant that “learns” from customers and then feeds the competitor. It's not always bad faith, but it's the effect of non‑neutral technology: it carries lock‑in patterns, value extraction, and dependency. For SMEs in Southern Italy, already fragile on digital, this is a silent trap.
Europe tries to react with the AI Act, but rules without awareness remain paper. The Pope says: “Technology is never neutral,” and we add: if you don't own your infrastructure, someone owns you. For a 20‑employee company in Sciacca or Catania, AI must be a tool, not a master. But to use it as a tool you need to understand it: costs, constraints, data, ethics.
We at Meteora Web believe exactly this.
Since 2017 we have been working with companies that want technology that yields, not locks them in. We have chosen open stacks – Laravel, custom WordPress, on‑premise solutions – precisely to avoid lifetime fees and hostage data. Our position is clear: AI amplifies, does not replace, and must be adopted with the same discipline as preparing a balance sheet. Start with the numbers: how much does it cost? What is the return? Where do the data go? If a vendor cannot answer, change vendor. The Pope reminded us that technology is a human act, and as such it must be designed and chosen. It is not a fate to endure; it is a decision.
What to do then? First: inform yourself. Read the encyclical (it is short and clear) and compare it with your own business choices. Second: demand transparency from AI vendors – no black boxes in processes that touch customers or sensitive data. Third: invest in internal training, not just on tools but on the logic and limits of AI. Fourth: favor European or open‑source solutions where possible, to keep control. We have always done this. It can be done.
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