Pope Francis Calls for International Treaty on Ethical AI

The Pope's call for regulation comes in the wake of the EU's comprehensive AI rules, with concerns raised about AI's impact on society and the armaments sector.

Pope Francis has called for an international treaty to ensure artificial intelligence is developed and used ethically, emphasizing the need for human values of compassion, mercy, morality, and forgiveness in technology.
The Pope's call for regulation comes in the wake of the European Union's provisional approval on the world's first comprehensive AI rules, which are expected to serve as a benchmark for other governments.
The Pope expressed concern about the use of AI in the armaments sector, calling for 'adequate, meaningful and consistent' human oversight of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS).
He warned about the profound impact of automated systems that rank or categorize citizens, which could determine everything from mortgage eligibility to the chance of reoffending by someone previously convicted of a crime.
Francis did not provide details of a possible binding treaty, but stated it must be negotiated at a global level to promote best practices and prevent harmful ones, adding that technology companies alone cannot be trusted to regulate themselves.