ROME. Pope Francis has called for an international treaty to ensure the ethical development and use of artificial intelligence (AI), expressing concerns about the potential risks posed by technology lacking essential human values. In his annual message for the World Day of Peace, the Pope highlighted the importance of compassion, mercy, morality, and forgiveness in AI applications. This call follows the Pope’s personal experience earlier in the year when an AI-generated image of him went viral.
EU Sets Precedent: The Pope’s message coincides with the recent provisional approval of the world’s first comprehensive AI rules by European Union negotiators. These rules are expected to establish a gold standard for governments worldwide considering their own AI regulations.
Balancing Promise and Peril: While acknowledging the promise of AI and technological advances as a manifestation of human creativity, the Pope emphasized the existential concerns raised by ethicists and human rights advocates. The message underlined the need for responsible development that prioritizes fundamental human rights, promotes peace, and guards against issues such as disinformation and discrimination.
Concerns about AI in Armaments: Pope Francis expressed his greatest alarm regarding the use of AI in the armaments sector. He called for meaningful human oversight of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), warning against the potential folly of new technologies that could exacerbate the impact of war.
Profound Repercussions on Humanity: The Pope also warned against automated systems that rank and categorize individuals, emphasizing the profound repercussions on humanity. He stressed that algorithms must not dictate the understanding of human rights or eliminate essential human values.
Global Treaty and Oversight: While the Pope did not delve into specific details of a binding treaty, he emphasized the necessity of negotiating such an agreement at a global level. He argued against relying solely on technology companies for self-regulation, drawing parallels with his previous denouncement of multinationals exploiting Earth’s resources.
Common Ethical Ground: Barbara Caputo, a professor at the Turin Polytechnic university’s Artificial Intelligence Hub, highlighted the convergence on fundamental ethical issues and definitions in both the EU’s regulation and the executive order unveiled by U.S. President Joe Biden. This convergence, she noted, establishes a common regulatory base for those involved in AI development.
Pope Francis joins the growing chorus of voices advocating for global regulation to ensure the ethical development and use of artificial intelligence, citing concerns about the potential risks and the need for human values to guide AI applications.
Si Venus L Peñaflor ay naging editor-in-chief ng Newsworld, isang lokal na pahayagan ng Laguna. Publisher din siya ng Daystar Gazette at Tutubi News Magazine. Siya ay isa ring pintor at doll face designer ng Ninay Dolls, ang unang Manikang Pilipino. Kasali siya sa DesignCrowd sa rank na #305 sa 640,000 graphic designers sa buong daigdig. Kasama din siya sa unang Local TV Broadcast sa Laguna na Beyond Manila. Aktibong kasapi siya ng San Pablo Jaycees Senate bilang isang JCI Senator.
