In his message delivered ahead of the Annual World Day of Peace, Francis called a global alliance on this issue necessary because scientific research and technical innovations are not “neutral,” but are subject to cultural influences. Francis, who had his own foray into the world of AI earlier this year after an AI-generated image of him in a puffer jacket went viral, says that scientific developments, including AI, are “conditioned by personal, social, and cultural values” that are inherently embedded. He advises it is not sufficient to assume that developers of digital technologies and algorithms will behave in a responsible way. There is a need to create regulatory bodies, Francis says, to address ethical issues arising from technological advances, which would protect the rights of those who create AI technologies alongside those who are impacted by them. “The immense expansion of technology thus needs to be accompanied by an appropriate formation in responsibility for its future development,” the Pope said. “Freedom and peaceful coexistence are threatened whenever human beings yield to the temptation to selfishness, self-interest, the desire for profit and the thirst for power,” he added. “We thus have a duty to broaden our gaze and to direct techno-scientific research towards the pursuit of peace and the common good, in the service of the integral development of individuals and communities.” The Pope’s address adds to a growing chorus of individuals warning about the impact AI will have, and calling for safeguards around the technology, which is growing at an exponential rate. This spring, more than 1,100 tech leaders signed an open letter calling for a pause in the AI arms race to allow programmers the abilities to ensure the technology will benefit society. Signatories to the letter included Elon Musk, billionaire owner of SpaceX, Tesla and Twitter, Steve Wozniak, co-founder of Apple, Andrew Yang, former presidential candidate, and Evan Sharp, co-founder of Pinterest. Ethical issues have moved from the realm of theoretical and are now being addressed through the legal system, as photo generative AI systems are being used to create fake adult images using the faces of real women and young girls. In one example, students at a New Jersey high school were recently bullied and harassed after their photos were digitally altered to have nude bodies added by AI. Four of the girls, one of whom was 14 years old, filed police reports. The FBI also says it regularly received reports of such incidents and that such actions may violate multiple criminal statutes.Pope Francis is urging global leaders to sign an international treaty to regulate the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology.
