BORGO EGNAZIA, Italy (Reuters) – Pope Francis, the first pontiff to attend a G7 summit, warned leaders meeting in Italy on Friday against artificial intelligence, urging them never to let AI take over on humans.
The pope said AI represented a “radical transformation” for humanity, but stressed the need for close monitoring of this ever-evolving technology in order to preserve human life and dignity.
Pope Francis, however, conceded that AI could spark enthusiasm and expand access to knowledge around the world.
“But… it could lead to greater injustice between advanced and developing countries, or between dominant and oppressed social classes,” he said.
“It is up to everyone to make good use of AI, but it is up to the political sphere to create the necessary conditions for such use to be possible and fruitful,” he added .
In a draft final declaration, G7 leaders agree on a plan to anticipate future skills and education needs to take advantage of the AI revolution.
The pope touted AI’s potential to take on labor-intensive tasks and drive “exponential progress in scientific research,” but added that machines could also be “tricked” into relaying false information.
(Report by Crispian Balmer, French version by Alban Kacher, edited by Sophie Louet)
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