“Pope Francis to Address ‘Ethical’ AI at G7 Summit”, Pope Francis’s upcoming address to G7 leaders on Friday, June 14th, regarding artificial intelligence marks an unprecedented move by the Vatican, showcasing its increasing focus on the implications of this new technology. The Pope’s engagement highlights the Vatican’s recognition of both the potential benefits and risks associated with artificial intelligence, underscoring the importance of ethical considerations in its development and deployment.
“Pope Francis, aged 87, will make history as the first head of the Catholic Church to address a G7 summit. His speech on the second day of the Puglia meeting will be attended by prominent leaders, including US President Joe Biden and France’s Emmanuel Macron.”
The ageing head of a 2,000-year-old institution is not perhaps the most obvious candidate to make a presentation on cutting-edge technology, but the pontiff sees AI as a key challenge for humanity.
“The Church always looks to humans as the centre of its mission,” said Paolo Benanti, a Franciscan university professor and member of the UN’s AI advisory body, who directly advises the pope.
“From this perspective, it is clear that the AI that interests the Church is not the technical tool, but how the tool can impact on the life of man,” he told AFP.
In it, he welcomed advances in science and technology that have reduced human suffering – and Benanti said AI could act as a “multiplier”, boosting everything from medical research to economic and social wellbeing. AI was the theme of the Church’s World Day of Peace on Jan 1, for which the pontiff published a six-page document.
But the pope also warned of risks including disinformation and interference in elections, and that unequal access could increase social and economic inequalities.
