Pope Francis has called for a global treaty to regulate the increasing reach of artificial intelligence into society, warning of risks of potential "technology dictatorship."
The Pope spoke on Thursday about the need for a "binding international treaty" for the ethical development of AI. The chief pontiff raised the subject during his annual speech for the World Day of Peace.
Addressed to United Nations leaders, Pope Francis noted "grave ethical concern" with the country's misuse of AI technology.
The pope criticized the integration of AI into "the area of so-called Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems," as well as for "interference in elections" and "the rise of a surveillance society."
In the same manner, Pope Francis praised AI as part of the "impressive achievements of science and technology" for offering "exciting opportunities" for new ways to reach humanitarian peace.
The speech was published after the European Union finished a monumental deal on governing AI usage, including AI application on government operations and regulations on AI systems.
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Vatican City Intervenes into the AI Scene
The World Day of Peace was not the first time Vatican City raised concerns about AI.
In fact, Pope Francis openly discussed the topic several times this year, citing concerns that it could further "fuel conflicts and antagonism."
It can be remembered that the Pope was involved in the concerns of AI use earlier this year after near-realistic pictures of him wearing a puffer jacket went viral on the internet.
Despite being AI-generated, the picture convinced many people that the 86-year-old Catholic leader briefly made an appearance as a fashion model.
AI Market Growing Strong in 2023
2023 marked the year of huge growth in AI development as more companies hopped in on the technology hype.
Leading tech giants have also launched their own AI-integrated services and language models for cost-cutting operations.
Several groups have already pointed risk of more people being displaced in favor of AI workers, a problem that is becoming more common in tech-related jobs in the US.
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