Attendees of the annual Group of Seven (G7) summit — which brings together the leaders of the world's most powerful democracies — are used to rubbing elbows with the likes of President Joe Biden and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This year, as they discuss climate change, immigration, and economic security, they will be joined by an unexpected guest: Pope Francis. The event, which will be held June 13-15 in the Puglia region of Italy, will mark the first time a pope will attend.
Although the pope lacks the official status associated with state leaders, Francis' influence — which he previously used to express concern over climate change and the treatment of refugees — has led him to advocate for the regulation of artificial intelligence. would allow, a technology they called potentially harmful. . Francis, who was an alchemist before entering the seminary, has used his scientific training to inform his stance on political issues.
“The pope is not an engineer, but he is concerned about the social aspects and implications of AI,” said Father Paolo Benanti, a Franciscan friar and professor who previously worked on AI issues with the Vatican and the United Nations on AI. Have a place. The advisory body said CNN.
“Francis' primary focus is on what new technologies mean for our coexistence: what elements of AI are creating inequality for humanity, and topics such as the distribution of fake news in the public square. “, he added.
Francis' work to address AI safety concerns began in 2020, when he helped spearhead the Rome Call for AI Ethics, a set of principles to increase transparency and accountability of AI companies and their users. The Vatican, Microsoft, and IBM are among its signatories. The Pope is likely to reiterate concerns about AI regulation at the summit this week.
Italy, one of the summit's rotating hosts, has increasingly scrutinized AI technology, and temporarily banned ChatGPT in March 2023, becoming the first Western country to do so. Italian data protection regulator Garante said in January that the chatbot violated EU privacy laws by exposing payment information and messages and allowing children to access inappropriate information.
“We want our AI to learn about the world, not about private individuals,” OpenAI said in a statement at the time. “We actively work to minimize personal data in training our systems such as ChatGPT, which also rejects requests for private or sensitive information about people.”
Swagged out, white puffed poop
Francis knows firsthand the potential pitfalls of AI. Last year, a photo of her in a white, full-body puffer jacket — with a large cross hanging from her neck — surfaced on the Internet. Although it went viral, many believe the photo to be real, but it was created by AI image tool Midjourney.
This past January, Francis acknowledged the images and issued a warning on AI, noting that “at this time in history….the dangers of being rich in technology and poor in humanity.
He argued that while AI can be useful in advancing scientific fields, it becomes dangerous when it chooses to spread misinformation, including about individuals. “Our bodies, designed for communication and sharing, can become a source of aggression,” Francis said.
This isn't the only problem the Catholic Church has had with AI. Catholic advocacy group Catholic Answers created an AI priest named “Father Justin” earlier this year. The purpose of the chatbot was to help curious users learn about Catholicism. But the bot went too far, claiming to be a member of the Catholic clergy and offering to confess. After reporting on Futurism's bot and reaching out to advocacy groups, the “pastor” was soon defrocked, or excommunicated.
“We chose the role to reflect the quality of knowledge and authority, and as a sign of the respect that all of us at Catholic Answers have for our priests,” Catholic Answers president Christopher Check wrote in a post. ” However, many have expressed concerns about this choice.
The chatbot is now a “moat” named Justin.