Pope Francis has warned the world about the potential dangers of artificial intelligence, calling for a focus on the ethical aspects of this vast field to address disruptive possibilities and conflicting effects of this new technology.
In a statement, the Pope “reminds us of the need for vigilance and action to prevent violence and discrimination from taking root in the production of such devices and their use at the expense of the most vulnerable.”
He added, “The urgent need to guide the concept of artificial intelligence and use it responsibly for the service of humanity requires ethical thinking to extend to the fields of education and law.”
Pope Francis acknowledged in 2015 that he is a “disaster” in dealing with technology, however, he described the internet, social media networks, and text messages as a “gift from God” provided they are used wisely.
In 2020, the Vatican joined Microsoft and IBM to enhance the ethical aspects of artificial intelligence and advocate for the regulation of certain technologies like facial recognition.
The Pope’s warnings precede United Nations calls for the international community to take preventive and regulatory measures regarding artificial intelligence.
The U.N. also called for the enhancement of transparency in artificial intelligence systems, ensuring that data designated for these technologies is “collected, used, shared, stored, and deleted” in ways that align with human rights.
Prominent risks of artificial intelligence include making critical decisions based on false information, sparking an arms race among major nations, violating privacy, and many others.
