Pope Francis has called for a global reflection on the potential dangers of Artificial Intelligence (AI), noting the new technology’s “disruptive possibilities and ambivalent effects.” The Pope Issued the warning concerning the technology in a message for the next World Day of Peace of the Catholic Church, to be held on January 1, New Year’s Day. The Pontiff disclosed that in the past, he did not know how to use a computer. “The pope recalls the need to be vigilant and to work so that logic of violence and discrimination does not take root in the production and use of such devices, at the expense of the most fragile and excluded” the message read.
“The urgent need to orient the concept and use of artificial intelligence in a responsible way, so that it may be at the service of humanity and the protection of our common home, requires that ethical reflection be extended to the sphere of education and law”, it added. Back in 2015, Pope Francis acknowledged being “a disaster with technology, but he has also called the internet, social networks and text messages”a gift of God”, provided that they are used wisely. In 2020, the Vatican joined forces with tech giants Mi- crosoft (MSFT.O) and IBM (IBM.N) to promote the ethical development of AI and call for regulation of intrusive technologies such as facial recognition.
