Artificial intelligence, or AI, is one of the most-discussed news topics in recent years. Seemingly everyone is weighing in with their thoughts on how AI might change the world–from video games and movies to politics and more. Now, the Pope has shared his thoughts during the G7 Summit in Italy.
As reported by Vatican News, the Pope said AI is a “true cognitive-industrial revolution” that he believes will lead to “complex epochal transformations.”
He said AI could lead to transformations that are both good and bad. For example, AI advancements might help democratize access to knowledge and help with scientific research, the Pope said. He also noted that AI might help reduce “demanding and arduous work.” At the same time, advancements to AI could lead to a “greater injustice between advanced and developing nations or between dominant and oppressed social classes,” he said.
The Pope went on to say that AI is a “tool” that can make “algorithmic choices,” but this lies in contrast to humans who can use wisdom derived from life experience to make decisions. As such, the Pope said important decisions in the world should always be made by humans, adding that autonomous weapons that are capable of killing with no human input should be banned.
Ultimately, the Pope said he believes political action is “urgently needed” to tackle the issues that AI presents in the world.
In the world of media and entertainment, AI was one of the issues that Hollywood unions fought for in its latest round of strikes, ultimately winning a variety of protections. For video games, many have expressed concerns about potential negative impacts of AI, but that hasn’t stopped the likes of Microsoft, EA, Take-Two, and others speaking very positively about how AI can help accelerate and improve game development.
