Pope Leo
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“Further technological advances and the military introduction of artificial intelligence are exacerbating the tragedy of armed conflict,” he said in his first message for World Peace Day, released on Thursday.
“As life-and-death decisions are increasingly ‘delegated’ to machines, there is even a growing trend among political and military leaders to avoid responsibility.
“This represents an unprecedented and devastating betrayal of the legal and philosophical principles of humanism that underlie and protect every civilization,” he said.
The Catholic Church's first U.S. pope has repeatedly called for AI to be used in an ethical manner since his election in May.
Several countries have begun to use AI to automate surveillance, cyber defense, and weapons systems such as autonomous drones and anti-missile systems with predictive algorithms, raising serious ethical dilemmas.
In a message released ahead of World Day of Peace on January 1, which the church celebrates, Leo also condemned the use of religion for political ends.
“Unfortunately, it has become increasingly common to drag words of faith into political struggles, celebrate nationalism and justify violence and armed struggle in the name of religion,” he said.
The 70-year-old also said that military power, particularly the concept of nuclear deterrence, is “based on the irrationality of relations between states” and is built “on fear and the rule of force, rather than on law, justice and trust.”
AFP
