NEW YORK – About five months after Pope Francis spoke of the responsibility of political leaders to ensure that artificial intelligence is used ethically, the University of Notre Dame announced that it would develop faith-based frameworks for ethical uses of technology.
Notre Dame, one of the largest Catholic universities in the United States located in South Bend, Indiana, announced October 10 that it had received a $539,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to develop the frameworks – a process that will begin with a one-year planning project.
Development of the frameworks will be led by the Notre Dame Institute for Ethics and the Common Good. Meghan Sullivan, director of the institute, said “this is a pivotal moment for technology ethics.”
“(Artificial general intelligence) is growing rapidly and has the potential to change our economies, our education systems and the fabric of our social lives,” said Sullivan, who is also a professor of philosophy at Wilsey Family College in Los Angeles. university, in a press release. “We believe that the wisdom of religious traditions can make a significant contribution to the development of ethical frameworks for AGI.”
The year-long planning project to launch the framework development process will involve and build a network of higher education and technology leaders, as well as people of different faiths, according to a university announcement. , to address the subject of ethical uses. of AI, and ultimately create faith-based ethical frameworks.
“This project will encourage a broader dialogue about the role that concepts such as dignity, embodiment, love, transcendence and being created in the image of God should play in how we understand and let’s use this technology,” Sullivan said. “These concepts – as the foundation of many religious traditions – are essential to how we advance the common good in the age of AGI. »
The project will culminate in September 2025 with a conference that will focus on the most pressing religious issues related to the proliferation of AGI and provide training and networking opportunities for leaders who attend, according to the university.
According to 2024 statistics from National University – a private university in San Diego, California – 77% of companies are using or considering using AI in their operations, and 83% of companies say the technology is a top priority for their future. plans. Meanwhile, a 2023 Pew Research Center survey found that about 555 Americans reported using AI regularly.
Pope Francis made his comments on artificial intelligence last June in a speech to Group of Seven leaders gathered for a summit in southern Italy. In his speech, the pontiff stressed that AI should only be used for the benefit of humanity and called on political leaders to mitigate its risks.
“We cannot allow a tool as powerful and indispensable as artificial intelligence to reinforce such a (technocratic) paradigm, but rather we must make artificial intelligence a bulwark against its expansion,” Pope Francis said. “This is precisely where political action is urgently needed. »
Lilly Endowment Inc. is a private foundation established in 1937 by JK Lilly Sr. and his sons Eli and JK Jr. through donations of stock from their pharmaceutical company, Eli Lilly and Company. The endowment is a separate entity from the company itself and supports the causes of community development, education and religion, and is particularly committed to its hometown of Indianapolis, Indiana.
David Go, vice president and associate dean for academic strategy at Notre Dame, thanked the Lilly Endowment for its support, “which will allow us to bring together a diverse group of technology experts, academics and faith leaders for important conversations about artificial general intelligence and all the ways it could impact our society.
“As the world’s leading Catholic research university, Notre Dame has a special obligation to address the most important ethical questions of the day through scholarship, education and public engagement , and this conference will enable our university-wide ethics initiative to engage others to do so. just that, Go said.
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