Omnes-CARF meeting addressed the benefits and risks of artificial intelligenceIn the message for the 57th World Day of Peace the Pope reflects on the positive aspects of scientific progress, but also on the ethical challenges that some advances, such as artificial intelligence, pose.
First of all, Francis recalls that Sacred Scripture affirms that "God has given men his Spirit so that they may have 'skill, talent and experience in the performance of all kinds of work' (Ex 35:31).
The pastoral constitution "Gaudium et Spes" of the Second Vatican Council also stated that man has always "striven by his work and ingenuity to perfect his life". Therefore, the Pope pointed out that the progress of science and technology "insofar as it contributes to a better order of human society and to the increase of freedom and fraternal communion, leads to the perfection of man and the transformation of the world", and he expressed his joy for the progress of science, thanks to which "it has been possible to remedy innumerable evils that affected human life and caused great suffering".
Risks and algorithms
But, on the other hand, Francisco points out that these developments can lead to a risk in some areas: "Technical-scientific progress, making it possible to exercise control over reality, never seen before, is placing in the hands of man a vast range of possibilities, some of which represent a risk to human survival and a danger to the common home".
Francis also mentions technologies that use algorithms, which extract the "digital traces left on the Internet, data that make it possible to control the mental and relational habits of people for commercial or political purposes, often without their knowledge, limiting their conscious exercise of freedom of choice. In fact, in a space like the web, characterized by an overload of information, the flow of data can be structured according to selection criteria not always perceived by the user".
The Pope recalls that innovations are not "neutral, but are subject to cultural influences. As fully human activities, the directions they take reflect decisions conditioned by the personal, social and cultural values of each epoch".
Artificial intelligence
The Pope then pauses to reflect on artificial intelligence, because "the term itself, which has now entered common parlance, embraces a variety of sciences, theories and techniques aimed at making machines reproduce or imitate, in their functioning, the cognitive capacities of human beings".
"Their impact," the Pope reminds us, "regardless of the underlying technology, depends not only on the project, but also on the objectives and interests of the owner and developer, as well as the situations in which they are used."
For all these reasons, Francis points out that it should not be taken for granted that the development of this so-called artificial intelligence will necessarily bring something positive to humanity: "Such a positive outcome will only be possible if we are capable of acting responsibly and respecting fundamental human values (...). It is not even enough to assume, on the part of those who design algorithms and digital technologies, a commitment to act in an ethical and responsible manner. It is necessary to strengthen or, if necessary, institute bodies responsible for examining emerging ethical issues and for protecting the rights of those who use forms of artificial intelligence or are influenced by them".
On the other hand, the Pope reflects on machines that learn on their own, "machine learning" and "deep learning", a technology that, although it is "in a pioneering phase, is already introducing significant changes in the fabric of societies, exerting a profound influence on cultures, social behavior and the construction of peace".
Disinformation and bias
Moreover, "the ability of some devices to produce syntactically and semantically coherent texts, for example, is no guarantee of reliability (...) They can (...) generate statements that at first glance seem plausible, but are in fact unfounded or betray biases. This creates a serious problem when artificial intelligence is used in disinformation campaigns that spread fake news and lead to a growing distrust of the media. Confidentiality, data ownership and intellectual property are other areas where the technologies in question pose serious risks, to which are added further negative consequences linked to their improper use, such as discrimination, interference in electoral processes, the establishment of a society that monitors and controls people, digital exclusion and the intensification of an individualism that is increasingly detached from the collective."
Moreover, the Pope stresses that algorithms cannot provide "guaranteed forecasts of the future, but only statistical approximations. Not everything can be predicted, not everything can be calculated (...). Moreover, the large amount of data analyzed by artificial intelligences is not in itself a guarantee of impartiality. When algorithms extrapolate information, they always run the risk of distorting it, reproducing the injustices and prejudices of the environments in which they originate. The faster and more complex they become, the more difficult it is to understand why they have generated a certain result".
On the other hand, artificial intelligences are not impartial, "the purpose and meaning of their operations will continue to be determined or enabled by human beings who have their own universe of values". "The risk," the Pope points out, "is that the criteria underlying certain decisions will become less transparent, that decisional responsibility will be hidden, and that producers may evade the obligation to act for the good of the community."
For this reason, the "sense of limits" is important, which, according to Francis, is "an aspect often neglected in today's technocratic and efficiency-oriented mentality, yet decisive for personal and social development. The human being, in fact, mortal by definition, thinking of surpassing every limit thanks to technology, runs the risk, in the obsession of wanting to control everything, of losing control of himself, and in the search for absolute freedom, of falling into the spiral of a technological dictatorship".
Discrimination and injustices
The Pope stresses that all these issues pose great ethical challenges: "In the future, the reliability of someone who asks for a loan, the suitability of an individual for a job, the possibility of recidivism of a convicted person or the right to receive political asylum or social assistance could be determined by artificial intelligence systems. (...) Systemic errors can easily multiply, producing not only injustices in individual cases but also, by domino effect, authentic forms of social inequality".
On the other hand, there is the risk of an influence and limitation on human freedom, since "forms of artificial intelligence often appear capable of influencing the decisions of individuals by means of predetermined choices associated with stimuli and persuasions, or by means of systems for regulating personal choices based on the organization of information. These forms of manipulation or social control require precise attention and supervision, and imply a clear legal responsibility on the part of producers, users and government authorities".
The Pope reminds us that human rights must always come first: "We must not allow algorithms to determine the way we understand human rights, to set aside the essential values of compassion, mercy and forgiveness, or to eliminate the possibility for an individual to change and leave the past behind."
In addition, another important issue to consider is the impact "of new technologies on the workplace. Jobs that were once the exclusive province of human labor are rapidly being absorbed by industrial applications of artificial intelligence."
Weapons
Another of the Pope's major concerns in this area is the arms race: "The possibility of conducting military operations by means of remote-controlled systems has led to a lesser perception of the devastation they have caused and of the responsibility for their use, contributing to an even colder and more distant approach to the immense tragedy of war. The pursuit of emerging technologies in the field of so-called 'lethal autonomous weapons systems', including the warlike use of artificial intelligence, is a major ethical concern.
Autonomous weapon systems can never be morally responsible subjects. The uniquely human capacity for moral judgment and ethical decision-making is more than a complex set of algorithms, and that capacity cannot be reduced to the programming of a machine that, while 'intelligent,' is always a machine. For this reason, it is imperative to ensure adequate, meaningful and consistent human oversight of weapon systems."
In addition, another aspect to take into account is "the possibility that sophisticated weapons could end up in the wrong hands facilitating, for example, terrorist attacks or actions aimed at destabilizing legitimate government institutions".
Education
The Pope also points out that these technologies can have an impact on education, and stresses the need to "promote critical thinking. Users of all ages, but especially young people, need to develop a capacity for discernment in the use of data and content obtained from the web or produced by artificial intelligence systems. Schools, universities and scientific societies are called upon to help students and professionals to take ownership of the social and ethical aspects of the development and use of technology".
Appeal to the international community
In the message, the Pope indicates that these concerns are not the responsibility of a few, but of every human being, and that the use of this type of technology must be regulated: "I urge the community of nations to work together to adopt a binding international treaty to regulate the development and use of artificial intelligence in its many forms".
"My prayer at the beginning of the new year is that the rapid development of forms of artificial intelligence will not increase the already numerous inequalities and injustices present in the world, but will help to put an end to wars and conflicts, and to alleviate so many forms of suffering that affect the human family," the Pope concludes.
