Pope Francis Warns Against the Potential Dangers of AI

Joining the numerous individuals and organizations that have been warning against the dangers of artificial intelligence, Pope Francis on Tuesday called for global awareness of the disruptive possibilities and ambivalent effects" of AI.

It was a part of the Pope's annual message for World Peace Day, issued 145 days in advance.

Though Pope Francis is 86 and previously admitted that he doesn't know how to use a computer, he might not be wrong. Concerns have been growing over AI potentially wiping out jobs, to the point where even OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has launched a Crypto Startup meant to pay people for being humans in case AI renders everyone's skills obsolete.

The need to be vigilant and to work so that a logic of violence and discrimination does not take root in the production and use of such devices, at the expense of the most fragile and excluded.Pope Francis

The Pope went on to emphasize the urgent need for a responsible orientation of the concept and the use of AI, so that it may be at the service of humanity and the protection of our common home, requires that ethical reflection be extended to the sphere of education and law".

Previously in 2020, the Vatican teamed up with IBM and Microsoft to promote the ethical development of AI and demanded the regulation of intrusive technologies like facial recognition.

The Pope even referred to Hollywood movies released over the last few decades that depict villainous AI intending to wipe out humanity, asking if people didn't realize the dangers posed by AI.

Expressing that he didn't really understand why AI was needed in the first place, he highlighted his concern about AI potentially leaving people unemployed by taking over their jobs.

The whole point of society is we do jobs and do things, if everything is done by robots, everyone is gonna be out of work.Pope Francis

The Pope stressed that taking away a person's job isn't right. Ironically, even the Pope might not be irreplaceable now that AI is evolving by leaps and bounds. A ChatGPT-powered service was held in Germany back in June, which was attended by more than 300 churchgoers. Though some remarked that the service had no heart or soul" many admitted to being pleasantly surprised" at how well it worked.

The Growing Debate Over the Rise of AI

The debate over the ethical aspects and potential dangers of artificial intelligence is on the rise, with a lot of prominent personalities taking their stand for or against the rapidly evolving technology. Professionals from all walks of life have been impacted by artificial intelligence, be it positively or in a negative way.

Besides the danger of job displacement, ethical concerns regarding biased decision-making and privacy violations, the risks of allowing AI to be exceptionally intelligent, and the concerns about growing social inequalities have made AI a hot topic of debate.

While it doesn't look like the rise of AI is going to stop anytime soon, the Pope's call for the cautious development of technology makes sense.

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