As we enter the new year, humanity faces vast, barely mapped oceans of technological increase. Booming AI and algorithmic systems are already woven into the fabric of our being, influencing how we understand our world and the people around us.
In his message for World Peace Day, “Artificial Intelligence and Peace,” Pope Francis promotes the pursuit of holistic and inclusive innovations in science and technology as a path to peace. In a rapidly changing world, the Pope recognizes the transformative impact of science and technology, particularly artificial intelligence, on all human activities, including the search for peace. AI offers both promise and peril, which is why ethical innovation is now urgently needed to guide its development.
Pope Francis welcomes the progress and positive transformations brought by science and technology, as well as AI. From overcoming once insurmountable challenges to revolutionizing communication, education and personal interactions, AI has become an integral part of our daily existence.
However, adopting proliferating technologies also poses grave dangers to our societal and human existence. The design, development and deployment of the technologies that shape the future are largely in the hands of a very few owners and technical specialists. They may have good intentions, but such acute hyperfocus is at the root of many of the failures of algorithmic technology. The very nature of this technology promotes speed and consistency, which changes the fabric of our interactions and our reality itself. More than a tool to accomplish a specific task, AI and algorithmic technology constitute a new ecosystem that is transforming its environment, that is to say ours.
The Pope’s exploration of artificial intelligence distinguishes between its potential promise and its inherent risks. While AI promises to free humanity from mundane tasks, improve manufacturing and revolutionize data management, it also poses significant ethical challenges. The central theme is the ethical responsibility associated with the development of AI.
Recognizing the need for diversity in the AI landscape, Pope Francis emphasizes the imperative that trusted AI systems be inclusive, transparent, secure, equitable, privacy-respecting and under human control. This call for ethics resonates deeply with members of the AI community who advocate for the need for accountability and responsible development.
Ethical challenges also surround the use of AI in many aspects of life, Pope Francis says: “Algorithms must not be allowed to determine how we understand human rights, to side the essential human values of compassion, mercy and forgiveness or to eliminate the possibility of an individual changing and leaving his past behind.
Bias, discrimination and manipulation, proven dangers of AI applications, require a strong ethical framework guided by values such as inclusion, justice, trust and respect for human dignity.
In the field of information, the value of truth is jeopardized by vehicles that manipulate emotions; algorithms weaponize our data and information and thus distort our interactions and our perception of ourselves. We inadvertently allow machines to shape the human experience of reality.
Pope Francis questions the wisdom of conceding such power: “Our world is too vast, too varied and complex to be fully known and categorized. The human mind will never be able to exhaust its wealth, even with the help of the most advanced algorithms. »
The Pope calls for responsible innovation and a sense of limits in the development of AI. Respecting the limits of technology is essential to avoid unintended consequences, preserve human action, and prioritize the well-being of individuals and communities over narrower interests.
Ethical considerations are essential to the education of developers and users. Users especially need critical thinking to navigate the complexities of AI and make informed decisions.
The pope especially calls for the development of international laws governing the use of AI. As AI transcends all borders, including national borders, collaborative efforts are needed to establish binding treaties that regulate its development and application. Such regulations should not only prevent harmful practices, but also encourage the adoption of better ethical practices, thereby fostering a global community creating a fairer and more peaceful world.
The new year is an opportune time for the Pope’s urgent advocacy for a more responsible and ethical approach to AI.
Technology pilots must navigate the seas of AI with a compass calibrated to serve the greater good of humanity. We must all ensure “that progress in the development of forms of artificial intelligence ultimately serves the cause of human fraternity and world peace.” It is not the responsibility of a few,” Pope Francis says, not just of developers, investors and owners, “but of the entire human family. »
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Nishan Chelvachandran is CEO of Iron Lakes, an innovation company in AI, cybersecurity and spatial computing. Cardinal Michael Czerny SJ is Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Integral Human Development.
