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Francis joined the growing movement advocating for comprehensive, worldwide regulations on artificial intelligence in his yearly message for the World Day of Peace, observed by the Catholic Church on January 1st. The Vatican published the message on Thursday.

Francis has a personal connection to the appeal because earlier this year, a deepfake image of him wearing a high-end white puffer jacket gained widespread attention, highlighting the speed at which realistic AI-generated images can circulate on the internet.

The pope’s statement was published shortly after EU negotiators obtained temporary authorization for the first-ever comprehensive regulations on AI, which are anticipated to be used as a benchmark for governments developing their own policies.

In the past year, artificial intelligence has gained global recognition due to impressive progress made by innovative systems such as OpenAI’s ChatGPT. These systems have amazed users with their ability to create text, images, and music that resemble human creations. However, the technology has also sparked concerns about potential dangers to employment, privacy, copyright protection, and even human existence as it continues to rapidly evolve.

Francis recognized the potential of AI and commended the progress in technology as a testament to human ingenuity. This aligns with the Vatican’s stance, which was expressed at the recent U.N. General Assembly where many global leaders discussed both the benefits and risks of this technology.

However, his latest message promoting peace delved deeper into the serious and fundamental worries expressed by ethicists and human rights activists regarding technology’s potential to drastically alter daily life, causing disruptions in areas ranging from political elections to artistic expression.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, from the Vatican’s development office, stated at a press conference on Thursday that artificial intelligence could be the most crucial risk we face in the future. He also emphasized that if it has negative consequences, it is humanity’s responsibility.

The document emphasized the importance of prioritizing the protection of basic human rights, promoting peace, and preventing disinformation, discrimination, and distortion in the development and implementation of AI technology.

Francis’ primary concern was centered around the implementation of AI in the weapons industry. This has been a topic of interest for the Jesuit pope, who has described conventional weapons manufacturers as “merchants of death.”

He observed that the use of remote weapons systems has resulted in a detachment from the immense tragedy of war and a diminished understanding of the destruction caused by these weapons and the responsibility for using them.

He stated that the ability to make moral judgments and decisions based on ethics is not just a set of complicated algorithms, and it cannot be simplified to programming a machine.

He requested for sufficient, significant, and reliable human supervision of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), stating that the world does not require new technologies that ultimately encourage the foolishness of war.

At a simpler level, he cautioned about the significant impact on society of automated systems that sort individuals or place them in groups. Along with the potential loss of jobs globally due to automation, Francis pointed out that this technology could also dictate an individual’s eligibility for a home loan, their ability to seek political refuge as a migrant, or the likelihood of reoffending for someone with a prior criminal record.

The author stated that algorithms should not dictate our understanding of human rights, disregard important human values like compassion, mercy, and forgiveness, or prevent an individual from growing and moving on from their past.

For Francis, the issue hits at some of his priorities as pope to denounce social injustices, advocate for migrants and minister to prisoners and those on the margins of society.

The pope’s statement did not go into specifics about a potential legally binding agreement, but emphasized the need for global negotiations in order to promote positive practices and prevent harmful ones. He also expressed the belief that technology companies cannot be relied upon to regulate themselves.

He reused previously made arguments to criticize multinational corporations for exploiting Earth’s natural resources and causing poverty among Indigenous communities that rely on them.

The author stated that freedom and harmonious coexistence are at risk when individuals succumb to the temptation of selfishness, self-interest, the pursuit of monetary gain, and the craving for authority.

Professor Barbara Caputo, from the Artificial Intelligence Hub at the Turin Polytechnic University, pointed out that there is already agreement on certain essential ethical matters and definitions in both the European Union’s regulation and the executive order revealed by U.S. President Joe Biden in October.

During the Vatican briefing, she emphasized, “This is a significant development. It establishes a universal regulatory framework for those interested in creating artificial intelligence.”

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Kelvin Chan provided input from the city of London.

Source: wral.com