Despite the Vatican's lack of regulatory power, Pope Leo XIV is increasingly advocating for ethical surveillance of government and businesses just a month after his Pope.
The bishop, who was elected in May after Pope Francis' death, sent to Silicon Valley executives and Vatican officials on Tuesday to Silicon Valley executives and Vatican officials at Holysee's second annual meeting on AI, ethics and corporate governance held at the Apostal Palace in Vatican City.
In his message published by the Vatican, Leo said that AI technology is a great tool, but can be misused and harmful, especially for developmentally vulnerable children and young people. AI must take into account human identity in order to operate ethically, he added.
“AI, in particular generative AI, has opened up new perspectives at various levels, including strengthening research into medicine and scientific discovery, but also raises troubling questions about the impact of humanity's openness on truth and beauty,” he said.
The Vatican does not have explicit regulatory power, but Daniel Rober, professor of Catholic Studies at Sacred Heart University, said the Holy Holy See is often lobbying foreign governments to advance its agenda.
By making ethical AI regulations a priority, Leo sends a message to individual Catholics and Catholic business leaders and takes ideas seriously.
“Acknowledge and respect the unique characteristics of humans is essential to debate the appropriate ethical framework for AI governance,” Leo said in his message.
Leo made ethical AI a priority in his Pope, mentioning it just two days after he became Pope in his inaugural speech to Cardinals University. He is based on the legacy of Pope Francis. He was in the era when he set up a conference on AI held at the Vatican this week.
Leo also follows in the footsteps of his same name Leo XIII, who advocated better working conditions during the period of rapid industrialization in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
“He took his name because he wants to be someone commenting on the way that both AI and other technologies are changing society and that the church wants to be a voice in such a situation to defend human interests,” Rober said. luck.
Leo is advocating for ethical AI and, according to Rober, may be preparing to write a future “reminiscence” (or formal letters to all Catholic bishops) on the subject.
The absence of federal AI regulations in the United States has opened the door to state laws relating to AI, including intellectual property rights and AI transparency. Still, the Trump administration's budget bill passed in the House in May includes a 10-year suspension on enforcing state and local AI regulations.
