ROME — Pope Francis became a target earlier this year after an AI-generated image of him wearing a fluffy luxury jacket went viral.
In a message released Thursday, the pope called for an international treaty to ensure the development and ethical use of artificial intelligence, adding his voice to calls for stronger regulation.
Francis delivered his message in a speech on World Day of Peace, which the Catholic Church celebrates on January 1 every year. The Vatican released the text of the message on Thursday. Associated Press reported..
“The unique capacity for moral judgment and ethical decision-making is much more than a collection of complex algorithms, and its capacity cannot be reduced to the programming of a machine,” he writes.
The risk that technology will lack human values such as compassion, mercy, morality and forgiveness is too great, Francis said. The speed with which a deepfake image of Francisco in a white down jacket spread online illustrates just how dangerous it is.
The Pope’s message came just days after European Union negotiators secured provisional approval for the world’s first comprehensive AI rules. These rules are expected to serve as a gold standard for governments considering their own regulations. The Associated Press said:.
Systems like OpenAI’s ChatGPT have gained traction by showing they can generate human-like text, photos, and songs. But critics have raised concerns that the rapidly evolving technology poses risks to jobs, privacy and society. copyright protection And even more human life itself.
Francis’ message echoes the critical and existential concerns raised by ethicists and human rights activists about technology that promises to transform everyday life in ways that could disrupt everything from democratic elections to the arts. He emphasized his concerns.
“Artificial intelligence may be a high-stakes gamble for our future,” said Cardinal Michael Czerny, head of the Vatican’s Development Office, who introduced the message at a press conference on Thursday. “If the outcome is bad, the responsibility lies with humanity.”