VATICAN CITY: Pope Francis called on world leaders on Thursday to adopt a global treaty on the use of artificial intelligence to ensure that it is used in a manner ethical way.
The 86-year-old pontiff made the appeal in a six-page message released ahead of the Catholic Church celebration. World Peace Day on January 1, which this year will focus on the theme of AI.
While welcoming scientific and technological advances that have reduced human suffering, Francis warned that certain discoveries have the effect of “placing in the hands of man a vast range of options, some of which may pose a risk to our survival and endanger our common home.”
He highlighted the dangers of using AI, including for disinformation and election interference, as well as to make decisions – from paying Social Security to where to target weapons – for which responsibility becomes unclear.
“In the quest for absolute freedom, we risk falling into the spiral of a ‘technological dictatorship,'” he writes.
He warned that those who design algorithms and digital technologies cannot be assumed to want to act “ethically and responsibly”.
Instead, he called for a “binding international treaty” to regulate the development and use of AI, with the aim of preventing harm and sharing best practices.
“Technological developments that do not lead to an improvement in the quality of life of all humanity, but instead worsen inequalities and conflicts, can never be considered true progress,” he wrote.
Concerns about AI have increased since the chatbot ChatGPT, a consumer gateway to generative AI, emerged in late 2022.
The European Union is working on a general law covering the sector, while Chinese legislation specifically regulating generative AI came into force in August this year.
US President Joe Biden also issued an executive order in October on AI safety standards.
Pope Francis himself has been the subject of several AI-generated images, including one that went viral, showing him wearing a huge white puffer jacket topped with a large crucifix.
The 86-year-old pontiff made the appeal in a six-page message released ahead of the Catholic Church celebration. World Peace Day on January 1, which this year will focus on the theme of AI.
While welcoming scientific and technological advances that have reduced human suffering, Francis warned that certain discoveries have the effect of “placing in the hands of man a vast range of options, some of which may pose a risk to our survival and endanger our common home.”
He highlighted the dangers of using AI, including for disinformation and election interference, as well as to make decisions – from paying Social Security to where to target weapons – for which responsibility becomes unclear.
“In the quest for absolute freedom, we risk falling into the spiral of a ‘technological dictatorship,'” he writes.
He warned that those who design algorithms and digital technologies cannot be assumed to want to act “ethically and responsibly”.
Instead, he called for a “binding international treaty” to regulate the development and use of AI, with the aim of preventing harm and sharing best practices.
“Technological developments that do not lead to an improvement in the quality of life of all humanity, but instead worsen inequalities and conflicts, can never be considered true progress,” he wrote.
Concerns about AI have increased since the chatbot ChatGPT, a consumer gateway to generative AI, emerged in late 2022.
The European Union is working on a general law covering the sector, while Chinese legislation specifically regulating generative AI came into force in August this year.
US President Joe Biden also issued an executive order in October on AI safety standards.
Pope Francis himself has been the subject of several AI-generated images, including one that went viral, showing him wearing a huge white puffer jacket topped with a large crucifix.
