Pope: AI development must build bridges of dialogue and promote fraternity

By Isabella H. de Carvalho

Pope Leo XIV encouraged nations to establish frameworks and regulations on AI so that it can be developed and used according to the common good, in a message sent on July 10 to the participants of the AI for Good Summit, taking place in Geneva, Switzerland, from July 8 to 11.  

“I would like to take this opportunity to encourage you to seek ethical clarity and to establish a coordinated local and global governance of AI, based on the shared recognition of the inherent dignity and fundamental freedoms of the human person”, the message, signed by the Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, said.

The summit is organized by the United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union (ITU) and is co-hosted by the Swiss government. The event sees the participation of governments, tech leaders, academics and others who are interested and work with AI.

In this “era of profound innovation” where many are reflecting on “what it means to be human”, the world “is at crossroads, facing the immense potential generated by the digital revolution driven by Artificial Intelligence”, the Pope highlighted in his message. 

AI requires ethical management and regulatory frameworks 

“As AI becomes capable of adapting autonomously to many situations by making purely technical algorithmic choices, it is crucial to consider its anthropological and ethical implications, the values at stake and the duties and regulatory frameworks required to uphold those values”, the Pope underlined in his message. 

He emphasized that the “responsibility for the ethical use of AI systems begins with those who develop, manage and oversee them” but users also need to share this mission. AI “requires proper ethical management and regulatory frameworks centered on the human person, and which goes beyond the mere criteria of utility or efficiency,” the Pope insisted. 

Building peaceful societies 

Citing St. Augustine’s concept of the “tranquility of order”, Pope Leo highlighted that this should be the common goal and thus AI should foster “more human order of social relations” and “peaceful and just societies in the service of integral human development and the good of the human family”. 

While AI can simulate human reasoning and perform tasks quickly and efficiently or transform areas such as “education, work, art, healthcare, governance, the military, and communication”, “it cannot replicate moral discernment or the ability to form genuine relationships”, Pope Leo warned. 

For him the development of this technology “must go hand in hand with respect for human and social values, the capacity to judge with a clear conscience, and growth in human responsibility”. It requires “discernment to ensure that AI is developed and utilized for the common good, building bridges of dialogue and fostering fraternity”, the Pope urged. AI needs to serve “the interests of humanity as a whole”.

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