- The Roman couple urged world leaders to collaborate on an international agreement governing artificial intelligence.
- The Pontiff discussed the profound societal changes brought about by digital technology.
- Cardinal Michael Czerny referred to AI as the “most significant risk” for the future of humanity.
The Pope has called on global leaders to join forces in establishing an international agreement to regulate artificial intelligence.
The Vatican released the Pope’s address dedicated to World Peace Day, in which the leader of the Roman Catholic Church highlighted the potential hazards posed by the development and continuous advancement of AI.
Pope Francis acknowledged the dual nature of scientific and technological breakthroughs. While they have the capacity to improve our lives, they also provide humans with a wide range of capabilities, including potentially endangering the survival of the entire human race.
The Pope also remarked on the absence of neutral technological innovation worldwide. According to him, each innovation is exploited for specific purposes by its owners and developers. The pontiff drew a parallel between this situation and the domain of artificial intelligence.
“The impact of any artificial intelligence device—regardless of its underlying technology—depends not only on the technical design, but also on the goals and interests of its owners and developers,” the speech stated.
Furthermore, the Pope expressed concerns about the risks AI poses for democratic nations. The utilization of this technology carries the potential for various threats, including discrimination, interference in electoral processes, digital isolation, and the proliferation of surveillance culture, according to the pontiff.
The leader of the Roman Catholic Church dedicated particular attention to the issue of AI weaponry. Pope Francis highlighted the possibility of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) falling into the hands of terrorist organizations.
Cardinal Michael Czerny, spokesperson for the Vatican’s development office, referred to AI as the “most substantial gamble” for the future of humanity. The representative of the church believes that if this gamble fails, the blame will rest on the shoulders of all humanity.
It is worth mentioning that Yann LeCun, Turing Award laureate and Vice President of Meta, predicted that artificial intelligence will not reach the level of human intelligence within the next 10 years.