In important news, Pope Francis has called for a global treaty to regulate the development and use of artificial intelligence technology, specifically warning against the use of AI as a weapon, adding to the voices of world leaders and technologists advocating for stricter government regulation of this technology.
Main Facts
The Pope’s call for regulation comes as part of his annual peace message titled “Artificial Intelligence and Peace,” although it is celebrated on January 1st.
The Pope emphasized that he urges “the global community of nations to work together” and to “adopt a binding international treaty” to regulate the development and use of artificial intelligence technology, asserting that regulation should not only be to prevent harm but also to encourage “best practices”.
Pope Francis noted that technological progress in the field of technology and science “leads to the improvement of humanity” but also gives humans “unprecedented control over reality,” which could include risks to “our survival and threaten our common home”.
Given its global impact, Pope Francis stressed that the use and dissemination of artificial intelligence technology should be the responsibility of governments and international organizations, just days after the European Union reached an agreement on the most comprehensive AI regulatory laws in the world.
Main Criticism
The Pope affirmed that chatbots like ChatGPT are capable of producing coherent texts, but “this does not guarantee their reliability,” pointing out that the robots’ ability to “hallucinate,” or produce incorrect or biased data, “poses a serious problem when artificial intelligence is used in campaigns to spread false news and generate distrust in the media.” Pope Francis also highlighted other risks, including interference in elections and the use of artificial intelligence technology to create a surveillance state.
Main Background
In August, Pope Francis warned about artificial intelligence as part of the Catholic Church’s announcement for next year’s World Peace Day, stating that it should be used as a “service to humanity.” The Pope also emphasized that people should be aware of its “rapidly increasing impact” on society. He stressed the importance of using artificial intelligence technology ethically in professional fields such as education and law, stating that the development of artificial intelligence should not be “at the expense of the most vulnerable and excluded” in society. In March, a fake image of Pope Francis wearing a large white puffer jacket went viral on social media, later dubbed “Pope Balenciaga.” The image was created by Midjourney and shared on Reddit before spreading to other sites. Religious experts confirmed to The New York Times that Pope Francis is a prime target for AI-generated fake images for various reasons, including his prominence as a leader of the Catholic Church, and because he is “known for his simplicity” and his role in supporting marginalized community members, making such images more amusing. In the same month, technology leaders such as Elon Musk and Steve Wozniak signed a letter calling on AI laboratories to pause work on powerful AI systems to allow time to assess the risks of the technology. Also in March, Pope Francis delivered a message to scientists and experts warning against unethical and irresponsible uses of artificial intelligence, and in February, he stressed the necessity for scientific and technological developments to center around serving humanity.
Further Reading
Why did the “Pope Balenciaga” image go viral?
Pope warns that AI could fuel conflicts and antagonism
Leave a Reply