Vatican City, June 21 (Reuters) – Pope Leo on Saturday warned politicians about the challenges politicians brought on by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), addressing its potential impact as his biggest concern.
Speaking at an event attended by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and a parliamentary delegation of 68 countries, Leo revisited topics he raised many times in the Pope's first few weeks.
“It should not be forgotten in particular that artificial intelligence serves as tools for human interests, reducing them or even replacing them,” Leo said at an event held as part of the Roman Catholic Jubilee or Holy Year.
AI advocates say it speeds up scientific and technological advances and helps people perform routine tasks.
The American-born clergyman said care must be taken to protect “a healthy, fair and healthy lifestyle, especially for the younger generation.”
He noted that AI's “static memory” could never rival the “creative and dynamic” power of human memory.
“Our personal life is more valuable than any algorithm, and social relationships require space for development beyond the limited patterns that soulless machines can pre-package,” he said.
Leo, who became Pope in May, spoke about the threats that AI had raised with Jobs earlier, calling on journalists to use them responsibly.
(Edited by Tomasz Janowski by Keith Weir)
