Pope Francis called on the world today, Tuesday, to consider the potential risks of artificial intelligence, pointing to the "destructive possibilities and conflicting effects" of the new technology. The 86-year-old pope issued the warning in a preliminary message for the Catholic Church's World Day of Peace, which coincides with New Year's Day. The Vatican released the message earlier than usual.
The statement noted that the Pope "reminds of the need for vigilance and action, so that the logic of violence and discrimination does not become entrenched in the production and use of such devices at the expense of the most vulnerable and marginalized." He added that "the urgent need to direct the concept of artificial intelligence and use it responsibly to serve humanity requires extending ethical thinking into the fields of education and law."
The Pope acknowledged in 2015 that he viewed technology as a "disaster" in handling it, but described the internet, social networks, and text messaging as a "gift from God," provided they are used wisely. In 2020, the Vatican joined technology companies "Microsoft" and "IBM" to enhance the ethical development of artificial intelligence and advocate for the regulation of certain technologies such as facial recognition.
