Pope Francis Meets with Cisco's CEO Chuck Robbins who Signs the Vatican's Pledge for Ethics in AI

The President of the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAV) was speaking at an event on April 24th  during which the CEO of Cisco System Inc., put his signature to The Call for AI Ethics, a document promoted by the Pontifical Academy and by its RenAIssance Foundation (that supports the anthropological and ethical reflection of new technologies on human life) and has already been endorsed by Microsoft, IBM, FAO and the Italian Ministry of Innovation.
The signing ceremony in the Vatican followed the audience of Cisco CEO and President, Chuck Robbins and a delegation, with Pope Francis before the General Audience.
The document aims to promote a sense of mutual responsibility among international organizations, governments, institutions and the private sector to create a future in which digital innovation and technological progress- and in particular AI - respect the dignity of the human person so that every individual can benefit from the advances of technology.

"We are very pleased that Cisco has joined the Rome Call because it is a company that plays a crucial role as a technological partner for the adoption and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI), by offering expertise in infrastructure, security, and protection of AI data and systems,” Archbishop Paglia said, adding that “From now on, we will look at how this can further grow to combine the already present corporate commitment with the ethical principles of the Rome Call."

The document has already been endorsed by international technology players, government and UN institutions, universities worldwide, companies and individuals, as well as by representatives of the three Abrahamic religions.
Chuck Robbins noted how AI is changing our world and “presenting vast opportunities but also new challenges.”

"The principles of the Rome Call are in line with Cisco's core belief that technology must be built on a foundation of trust at the highest levels, in order to power an inclusive future for all," Robbins said.

Also present at the event was Father Paolo Benanti, extraordinary professor of Ethics of Technologies at the Pontifical Gregorian University, and scientific director of the RenAIssance Foundation, who pointed to the necessity of acting in multiple directions.

“Developing large, high-quality, unbiased data sets to train AI models; providing access to cyberinfrastructure; building AI competencies; establishing governance frameworks to manage AI development; and providing AI systems that are transparent, accountable, and aligned with human values.“

Source Vatican News