As we enter the new year, humanity stands before vast and scarcely mapped oceans of technological augmentation. AI and burgeoning 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 pathway to peace. In a rapidly evolving world, the pope recognizes the transforming impact of science and technology, particularly artificial intelligence, on all human endeavors including the pursuit of peace. AI offers both promises and perils, so ethical innovation is urgently needed to guide its development from now on.
Pope Francis embraces the progress and positive transformations that science and technology have brought and that AI is bringing. From addressing once-insurmountable challenges to revolutionizing communication, education and personal interactions, AI has become an integral part of our daily existence.
However, to embrace proliferating technologies also carries grave dangers for our societal and human existence. The conception, development and deployment of technologies shaping the future are largely in the hands of a very few owners and technical specialists. They may have good intentions, but such an acute hyperfocus is the source of many of the failings in algorithmic technology. The very nature of this technology favors speed and homogeneity, which are changing the fabric of our interactions and our reality itself. More than a tool to perform a specific task, AI and algorithmic technology constitute a new ecosystem that is transforming its environment, which is to say ours.
The pope's exploration of artificial intelligence distinguishes between its potential promises and its inherent risks. While AI holds the promise of liberating humanity from mundane tasks, enhancing manufacturing and revolutionizing data management, it also poses significant ethical challenges. The central theme is the ethical responsibility associated with AI development.
Acknowledging the need for diversity within the AI landscape, Pope Francis highlights the imperative for reliable AI systems to be inclusive, transparent, secure, equitable, respectful of privacy and under human control. This call for ethics resonates deeply with those in the AI community who uphold the need for accountability and responsible development.
Ethical challenges also surround the use of AI in many aspects of life, says Pope Francis: "Algorithms must not be allowed to determine how we understand human rights, to set aside the essential human values of compassion, mercy and forgiveness or to eliminate the possibility of an individual changing and leaving his or her past behind."
Bias, discrimination and manipulation, proven dangers of AI applications, necessitate a robust ethical framework guided by values such as inclusion, justice, trust and respect for human dignity.
In the realm of information, the value of truth is imperiled by vehicles that manipulate emotion; algorithms weaponize our data and information and thence distort our interactions and our sense of self. Inadvertently, we are allowing machines to shape the human experience of reality.
Pope Francis questions the wisdom of conceding such power: "Our world is too vast, varied and complex ever to be fully known and categorized. The human mind can never exhaust its richness, even with the aid of the most advanced algorithms."
The pope calls for responsible innovation, a sense of limit, in developing AI. Respecting the boundaries of technology is essential to avoid unintended consequences, to preserve human agency and to prioritize the well-being of individuals and communities over narrower interests.
Ethical considerations are essential to the education of both developers and users. Users especially need critical thinking to navigate the complexities of AI and make informed decisions.
Crucially, the pope calls for the development of international laws governing AI use. As AI transcends all borders including national ones, collaborative efforts are necessary to establish binding treaties that regulate its development and application. Such regulations should not only prevent harmful practices but also incentivize the adoption of ethical best practices, fostering a global community setting up a more just and peaceful world.
The new year is a good time for the pope's urgent plea for a more responsible and ethical approach to AI.
The pilots of technology need to navigate the seas of AI with a compass calibrated to serve the greater good of humanity. We must all ensure "that progress in developing forms of artificial intelligence will ultimately serve the cause of human fraternity and world peace. It is not the responsibility of a few," says Pope Francis, not just the developers, investors and owners, "but of the entire human family."
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Nishan Chelvachandran is CEO of Iron Lakes, a company for innovations in AI, cybersecurity and spatial computing. Cardinal Michael Czerny S.J. is Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
