\n<\/p>\n
The Vatican called for constant oversight of artificial intelligence on Tuesday, warning about the potential for \u201cthe shadow of evil\u201d in the technology, which it said offered \u201ca source of tremendous opportunities but also profound risks.\u201d<\/p>\n
In a new document meant to advise the Catholic faithful, the church warned that the technology should be used to complement human intelligence, \u201crather than replace its richness.\u201d The document was approved by Pope Francis, who has repeatedly warned that the application of artificial intelligence should be grounded in ethical and moral considerations.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn all areas where humans are called to make decisions, the shadow of evil also looms here,\u201d the Vatican said in the paper. It added, \u201cThe moral evaluation of this technology will need to take into account how it is directed and used.\u201d<\/p>\n
The paper \u201cis a synthesis of a lot of the existing materials that have been developing organically over the last while,\u201d drawing on Francis\u2019s past statements and writings to look at A.I.\u2019s effect on relationships, education, warfare and work, said the Rev. Paul Tighe, one of the people who worked on it. The paper was written over six months by a Vatican team in consultation with various experts, including those in A.I.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
The paper tries to map out \u201can understanding of what it is to be human that in a sense gives shape to the ethical concerns,\u201d said Father Tighe, who is the spokesman for the Vatican department of culture and education.<\/p>\n
The paper warned of A.I.\u2019s potential to destroy the trust on which societies are built because of its potential to spread misinformation. \u201cA.I.-generated fake media can gradually undermine the foundations of society,\u201d the document said. \u201cThis issue requires careful regulation, as misinformation \u2014 especially through A.I.-controlled or -influenced media \u2014 can spread unintentionally, fueling political polarization and social unrest.<\/p>\n
\u201cSuch widespread deception is no trivial matter; it strikes at the core of humanity, dismantling the foundational trust on which societies are built.\u201d<\/p>\n
It decried the \u201charmful sense of isolation\u201d that A.I. could generate, as well as \u201cspecific challenges\u201d for children, \u201cpotentially encouraging them to develop patterns of interaction that treat human relationships in a transactional manner, as one would relate to a chatbot.\u201d<\/p>\n
The document cited concerns that A.I. could be used to advance what the pope has described as the \u201ctechnocratic paradigm,\u201d a belief that the world\u2019s problems could be solved through technological means alone. \u201cTechnological developments that do not improve life for everyone, but instead create or worsen inequalities and conflicts, cannot be called true progress,\u201d the document stated, citing Francis\u2019 2024 World Day of Peace message<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n When it comes to work, the document said, \u201cthe goal should not be that technological progress increasingly replaces human work, for this would be detrimental to humanity.\u201d It should also never \u201creduce workers to mere \u2018cogs in a machine,\u2019\u201d as the \u201cdignity of laborers and the importance of employment for the economic well-being of individuals, families and societies, for job security and just wages, ought to be a high priority for the international community\u201d as A.I. spreads.<\/p>\n The paper also repeated concerns about using the technology in remote-controlled weapons that result in \u201ca lessened perception of the devastation\u201d from their use and \u201can even more cold and detached approach to the immense tragedy of war.\u201d<\/p>\n The paper warned about \u201cthe concentration of the power over mainstream A.I. applications in the hands of a few powerful companies.\u201d Those companies could exercise \u201cforms of control as subtle as they are invasive, creating mechanisms for the manipulation of consciences and of the democratic process,\u201d the document stated, citing a 2019 document<\/a> by Francis.<\/p>\n Francis has increasingly raised concerns about A.I. In an address to political, economic and business leaders at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, last week, Francis wrote that A.I. raised \u201cgreat concerns about its impact on the role of humanity.\u201d And at a Group of 7 meeting in Italy last year, Francis told world leaders that A.I. \u201crepresents a true cognitive-industrial revolution, which will contribute to the creation of a new social system characterized by complex epochal transformations.\u201d<\/p>\n This month, the Vatican released a document with guidelines<\/a> for the use of A.I. inside its own walls, regulating its application.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n