The Vatican has teamed up with Microsoft and IBM to develop guidelines for the ethical development of artificial intelligence (AI) and has called for regulation of technologies such as facial recognition, Reuters reported. The document was presented at a recent conference on AI, organized by the Pontifical Academy for the Defense of Life.
“Artificial intelligence must respect human privacy and operate reliably and impartially. The decision-making principle must be transparent,”the document says. In his letter, Pope Francis expressed concern about the uncontrolled spread of AI technology. Particular attention in his letter is paid to facial recognition technology, as well as data extraction systems for commercial or political purposes. The Pontiff believes that the current system, in which the elect know everything about you, dulls critical thinking and understanding of freedom. Pope Francis noted that a situation where information and wealth are concentrated in narrow circles can turn into serious risks for a democratic society.
It is unclear how Microsoft and other companies plan to use this document. Representatives of IT giants attending the conference stated that they did not intend to abandon their projects in this area, since they did not feel fears about the possible unethical use of AI technology.
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