Pope Francis Quotes Scientist's Warning "The development of full AI could spell the end of the human race… " and Calls for "absolute necessity of the development and ethical use of AI, inviting politics...in the direction of...peace."
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SPEECH OF THE HOLY FATHER FRANCIS
TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PROMOTED
FROM THE CENTESIMUS ANNUS PRO PONTIFICE FOUNDATION
TO PARTICIPANTS IN THE INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE PROMOTED
FROM THE CENTESIMUS ANNUS PRO PONTIFICE FOUNDATION
The Holy Father's latest words on AI came during his audience on Saturday morning in the Vatican with participants in the international convention on 'Generative Artificial Intelligence and Technocratic Paradigm,' organized by the Vatican's Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice.
Clementine Hall
Clementine Hall
Saturday, June 22, 2024
________________________________________
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Eminence, Excellencies, dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
I greet and thank the President, Mrs. Anna Maria Tarantola, and I greet all of you who are participating in the annual International Conference of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation. This year the theme is "Artificial Intelligence and the technocratic paradigm: how to promote the well-being of humanity, care for nature and a world of peace".
It is a topic that deserves particular attention, because AI has a disruptive influence on the economy and society and can have negative impacts on the quality of life, on relationships between people and between countries, on international stability and on our common home.
As you know, I discussed technological development in the Encyclical Laudato si' and in the Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum, and on AI in the Message for this year's World Day of Peace and, a few days ago, in the speech to the G7.
I appreciate that Centesimus Annus has given ample space to this subject, involving scholars and experts from different countries and disciplines, analyzing the opportunities and risks connected to the development and use of AI, with a transversal approach and above all with an anthropocentric gaze, and keeping in mind the danger of a strengthening of the technocratic paradigm.
Multidisciplinary analysis is essential to grasp all the current and prospective aspects of AI, the advantages it can bring in terms of productivity and growth and the risks it can entail, to identify the correct ethical methods of development, use and management.
In the Message for the last Day of Peace I wanted to talk about algorithms, to indicate the absolute necessity of an ethical development of algorithms, in which values guide the paths of new technologies.
In my speech to the G7 I highlighted the critical aspects of Artificial Intelligence, underlining that it is and must remain a tool in the hands of man. Like other key tools over the millennia, this one also attests to the human being's ability to go beyond himself, his "otherness", and can bring about great transformations, positive or negative. In this second sense, AI could strengthen the technocratic paradigm and the culture of waste, the disparity between advanced and developing nations, the delegation to machines of decisions essential for the life of human beings. I therefore affirmed the absolute necessity of the development and ethical use of AI, inviting politics to adopt concrete actions to govern the technological process underway in the direction of universal brotherhood and peace.
In this context, your Conference contributes to increasing the ability to grasp the positive aspects of AI and to understand, mitigate and govern the risks, communicating with the world of science to identify together the limits to be placed on innovation if it goes to harm to humanity.
Stephen Hawking, renowned cosmologist, physicist and mathematician, said: «The development of full AI could spell the end of the human race… it would take off on its own and redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, could not compete and would be surpassed" (BBC interview). Is this what we want?
The basic question you asked yourself is this: what is AI for? Does it serve to satisfy the needs of humanity, to improve the well-being and integral development of people, or does it serve to enrich and increase the already high power of the few technological giants despite the dangers for humanity? And this is the basic question.
The answer depends on many factors and there are various aspects to explore. I would like to recall some of them, as a stimulus for your further insights.
* The delicate and strategic issue of responsibility for decisions made using AI must be explored; this aspect calls into question various branches of philosophy and law, as well as more specific disciplines.
* Appropriate incentives and effective regulation must be identified, on the one hand to stimulate ethical innovation useful for the progress of humanity, and on the other to prohibit or limit unwanted effects.
* The entire world of education, training and communication should start a coordinated process to increase knowledge and awareness of how to use AI correctly and to transmit to new generations, from childhood, the critical ability to of this tool.
Ladies and Gentlemen,
Eminence, Excellencies, dear brothers and sisters, good morning!
I greet and thank the President, Mrs. Anna Maria Tarantola, and I greet all of you who are participating in the annual International Conference of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation. This year the theme is "Artificial Intelligence and the technocratic paradigm: how to promote the well-being of humanity, care for nature and a world of peace".
It is a topic that deserves particular attention, because AI has a disruptive influence on the economy and society and can have negative impacts on the quality of life, on relationships between people and between countries, on international stability and on our common home.
As you know, I discussed technological development in the Encyclical Laudato si' and in the Apostolic Exhortation Laudate Deum, and on AI in the Message for this year's World Day of Peace and, a few days ago, in the speech to the G7.
I appreciate that Centesimus Annus has given ample space to this subject, involving scholars and experts from different countries and disciplines, analyzing the opportunities and risks connected to the development and use of AI, with a transversal approach and above all with an anthropocentric gaze, and keeping in mind the danger of a strengthening of the technocratic paradigm.
Multidisciplinary analysis is essential to grasp all the current and prospective aspects of AI, the advantages it can bring in terms of productivity and growth and the risks it can entail, to identify the correct ethical methods of development, use and management.
In the Message for the last Day of Peace I wanted to talk about algorithms, to indicate the absolute necessity of an ethical development of algorithms, in which values guide the paths of new technologies.
In my speech to the G7 I highlighted the critical aspects of Artificial Intelligence, underlining that it is and must remain a tool in the hands of man. Like other key tools over the millennia, this one also attests to the human being's ability to go beyond himself, his "otherness", and can bring about great transformations, positive or negative. In this second sense, AI could strengthen the technocratic paradigm and the culture of waste, the disparity between advanced and developing nations, the delegation to machines of decisions essential for the life of human beings. I therefore affirmed the absolute necessity of the development and ethical use of AI, inviting politics to adopt concrete actions to govern the technological process underway in the direction of universal brotherhood and peace.
In this context, your Conference contributes to increasing the ability to grasp the positive aspects of AI and to understand, mitigate and govern the risks, communicating with the world of science to identify together the limits to be placed on innovation if it goes to harm to humanity.
Stephen Hawking, renowned cosmologist, physicist and mathematician, said: «The development of full AI could spell the end of the human race… it would take off on its own and redesign itself at an ever-increasing rate. Humans, who are limited by slow biological evolution, could not compete and would be surpassed" (BBC interview). Is this what we want?
The basic question you asked yourself is this: what is AI for? Does it serve to satisfy the needs of humanity, to improve the well-being and integral development of people, or does it serve to enrich and increase the already high power of the few technological giants despite the dangers for humanity? And this is the basic question.
The answer depends on many factors and there are various aspects to explore. I would like to recall some of them, as a stimulus for your further insights.
* The delicate and strategic issue of responsibility for decisions made using AI must be explored; this aspect calls into question various branches of philosophy and law, as well as more specific disciplines.
* Appropriate incentives and effective regulation must be identified, on the one hand to stimulate ethical innovation useful for the progress of humanity, and on the other to prohibit or limit unwanted effects.
* The entire world of education, training and communication should start a coordinated process to increase knowledge and awareness of how to use AI correctly and to transmit to new generations, from childhood, the critical ability to of this tool.
* The effects of AI on the world of work must be evaluated. I invite the members of the Centesimus Annus Foundation and those who participate in its initiatives to take an active part, in their respective fields, to urge a process of professional requalification and the adoption of forms aimed at facilitating the relocation of redundant people to other activities.
* The positive and negative effects of AI on security and privacy need to be carefully examined.
* The effects on people's relational and cognitive abilities, and on their behaviors, must be considered and explored in depth. We cannot accept that these capabilities are reduced or conditioned by a technological tool, that is, by those who possess and use them.
* Finally - but this list is not intended to be exhaustive - we must remember the enormous energy consumption required to develop AI, while humanity is facing a delicate energy transition.
Dear friends, it is on the front of technological innovation that the future of the economy, of civilization and of humanity itself will be played out. We must not miss the opportunity to think and act in a new way, with the mind, with the heart and with the hands, to direct innovation towards a configuration centered on the primacy of human dignity. This should not be discussed. An innovation that promotes development, well-being and peaceful coexistence and that protects the most disadvantaged. And this requires a regulatory, economic and financial environment that limits the monopoly power of a few and allows development to benefit all humanity.
For this reason I hope that Centesimus Annus will continue to deal with this issue. I congratulate the launch of the second joint research between the Foundation and the Strategic Alliance of Catholic Research Universities (SACRU) on the theme "Artificial Intelligence and care of the common home: a focus on businesses, finance and communication", coordinated by Mrs. Tarantula. Please keep me posted on this!
And I conclude with a provocation: are we sure we want to continue calling "intelligence" what intelligence is not? It's a provocation. Let's think about it, and ask ourselves if improperly using this very important, so human word is not already a surrender to technocratic power.
I bless you and wish you all the best in your endeavors. Continue to work with courage, take risks! And I ask you to please pray for me. Thank you!
Source: Vatican.va with Screenshot from the Meeting
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