Pope Leo XIV Focuses on AI Risks, Potentially Clashing with Tech Industry
It appears that Pope Leo XIV is stepping into the arena, making the potential threats posed by artificial intelligence to humanity a defining element of his papacy. This move puts him somewhat at odds with the tech industry, which has, for years, sought a favorable relationship with the Vatican.
Drawing inspiration from his namesake, Leo XIII, who championed the rights of factory workers during the tumultuous Gilded Age – a period marked by rapid economic transformation and stark wealth disparities driven by powerful industrialists – the current Pope is preparing to address a new era of challenges.
During a recent address to a gathering of cardinals, Pope Leo XIV articulated his intention to leverage the Church's extensive 2,000-year history of social doctrine. His goal? To provide a framework for navigating what he sees as another industrial revolution. This revolution, of course, is fueled by innovations in artificial intelligence that, in his view, present significant risks to human dignity, fairness, and employment.
In a bid to influence the Vatican's discourse on AI – and, by extension, shape the perspectives of governments and policymakers worldwide – prominent figures from tech behemoths such as Google, Microsoft, and Cisco have made pilgrimages to Rome. Their mission: to evangelize the positive potential of these nascent technologies.
However, there's a clear point of contention. The Vatican has been advocating for a legally binding international agreement on AI, a proposition that many tech CEOs view as a potential impediment to innovation. The core issue seems to be finding a balance between fostering technological advancement and safeguarding fundamental human values.
Source: TechCrunch