Pope Francis made history as the first pontiff to deliver an address at the G7 summit in Italy, urging wealthy democracies to prioritize human dignity in developing and using AI.
The Pope's participation at the summit marked the first time the Holy See was represented at such a meeting. He had bilateral meetings with world leaders on the sidelines of the summit.
"We would condemn humanity to a future without hope if we took away people's ability to make decisions about themselves and their lives, by dooming them to depend on the choices of machines," he said.
The Vatican has been promoting the "Rome Call for AI Ethics" since 2020, and the Pope has been speaking out about the need for AI regulation over several years.
Pope Francis himself was the subject of AI-generated images and a deepfake video that went viral online, depicting him wearing an all-white puffy coat, highlighting the potential for AI deception.
In previous comments he warned about the dangers of rapid AI development leading to regression and barbarism, and the Vatican released a statement emphasizing the need for dialogue on AI's disruptive possibilities and ambivalent effects.
In his summit speech, the pope emphasized the need for proper human control over AI decisions, especially regarding the use of weapons and taking human lives, warning about the potential pitfalls of irresponsible AI pursuit without ethical barriers.
He advocated for stronger regulations and an international treaty to ensure the ethical development and use of AI that embodies human values, safeguards fundamental rights and dignity, and prevents dehumanizing effects and exacerbation of inequality. He proposed his Rome Call for AI Ethics as a framework.
He expressed concerns about the impact of AI on education, criminal justice, warfare, and exploitation of efficiencies at the cost of humanity, and called for a ban on AI weapons capable of killing without human intervention, criticizing the arms industry.
The pontiff also expressed optimism about AI's potential benefits, including advancements in scientific research and increased access to information, contingent upon ethical regulation.
This article was written in collaboration with Generative AI news company Alchemiq
Sources: CBS, Business Insider, Sky News, Fast Company, Washington Times, Axios, PBS, Time, Washington Post, Forbes, MarketWacth, South China Morning Post, New York Times, Fox News.