THE Artificial intelligence was one of the topics often addressed by Pope Francis who died on Monday (21) at the age of 88. In several pronouncements, the Pontiff warned of the dangers of technology and asked for the regulation of this market.
A few months ago, in January this year, the Vatican aired his official message On the subject, warning that AI contains “the shadow of evil” in its ability to spread misinformation.
“Technical-scientific progress, which allow you to exercise control-so far unpublished-about reality, put in man’s hands a wide range of possibilities, some of which can be a risk to human survival and a danger to the ordinary house,” Francisco said in this message.
“Technological advances that do not lead to an improvement in the quality of life of all humanity, but on the contrary they aggravate inequalities and conflicts, they can never be considered true progress,” he added.
AI regulation
By the end of 2023, he asked countries to strive to create a binding international treaty to regulate the development and use of artificial intelligence worldwide.
“The global scale of artificial intelligence makes it clear that, along with the responsibility of sovereign states to regulate their use internally, international organizations can play a decisive role in obtaining multilateral agreements and coordinating their application and execution,” he said in his message at the time.
The following year, in 2024, he became the first Pope to speak during a G7 summit, and used this opportunity to talk about artificial intelligence again.
The Pope said that AI represented a “historical transformation” for humanity, but emphasized the need for close supervision of constantly developing technology to preserve human life and dignity.
He said he understood enthusiasm around new technologies, but stressed that AI also “could bring with it greater injustice between advanced and developing nations or the dominant and oppressed social classes.”
“It is up to everyone to make good use of AI, but the burden is in politics to create the conditions for this good use to be possible and fruitful,” he added.
Disinformation
Francisco was also incisive in alerting to the risks of artificial intelligence desinction – of which he was also a victim, when an image of his using a beanbag coat went viral as if it were true.
By addressing political and economic leaders at the Davos World Economic Forum earlier this year, he warned that technology can exacerbate a growing “crisis of truth.”
“The results that AI can produce are almost indistinguishable from those of human beings, raising questions about their effect on the growing crisis of truth on the public forum,” Francisco said in a statement read at the event. “To sail the AI complexities, governments and companies need to exercise proper diligence and surveillance.”
See also: Papa Francisco worried about the excess of time in the face of screens, says expert
This content was originally published in Papa Francisco warned about AI dangers; See Pontiff’s opinion on the CNN Brazil website.
Source: CNN Brasil
Charles Grill is a tech-savvy writer with over 3 years of experience in the field. He writes on a variety of technology-related topics and has a strong focus on the latest advancements in the industry. He is connected with several online news websites and is currently contributing to a technology-focused platform.
