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Pope Leo XIV has created a study group on artificial intelligence in a sign of his ongoing concern about the technology. The Vatican announced the creation of an in-house study
Pope Leo XIV has established an in-house study group on artificial intelligence due to his growing concerns about its rapid advancement and potential impact on humanity. This move precedes the release of his first encyclical, which is anticipated to advocate for an ethics-driven approach to AI, emphasizing human dignity and global peace. The encyclical's timing is significant, aligning with the anniversary of Pope Leo XIII’s 'Rerum Novarum,' and aims to position AI within the Catholic Church's broader social teachings.
The Vatican is keen to actively participate in the global discourse surrounding artificial intelligence. Recognizing the technology's breathtaking capabilities and inherent risks, including potential existential threats and biases in algorithms, the Church seeks to offer ethical guidelines. It aims to ensure that AI development is human-centric, complementing rather than replacing human intelligence. This includes engaging with international efforts to regulate AI, although past multilateral initiatives have often resulted in non-binding pledges, contrasting with the EU's more structured AI Act.
Pope Leo XIV, despite being technologically aware, expresses profound concerns regarding AI's implications for peace, truth, and human relationships. He has cautioned priests against using AI for homilies and highlighted the worrying potential of generative AI to spread misinformation through deepfake technology, a critical issue for a leader whose order values truth. Furthermore, Leo has called for international treaties to regulate AI, particularly in warfare, advocating for a ban on lethal autonomous weapons to ensure that decisions concerning life and death remain exclusively in human hands. He emphasizes that the relationship between war and new technologies is spiraling into 'annihilation'.