Pope Francis, who consistently emphasized the safe use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology, has passed away. Throughout his life, he dedicated himself to the poor and marginalized, leaving a significant legacy in advocating for AI that serves all of humanity.
Pope Francis passed away on the 21st (local time). The funeral of Pope Francis took place on the 26th at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican and its surrounding areas.
Elected in 2013, Pope Francis maintained the stance that the Catholic Church should actively embrace new technologies and showed great interest in AI.
In 2016, he hosted an AI conference attended by figures such as Dr. Stephen Hawking, Yann LeCun (Chief AI Scientist at Meta), and Demis Hassabis (CEO of Google DeepMind). In February 2020, he signed the ‘Rome Call for AI Ethics’ by the Pontifical Academy for Life, and that November, he even selected artificial intelligence as a prayer intention. This January, he approved ‘Antiqua et Nova (Ancient and New)’, a guideline on the use of AI.
Having spent his life advocating for the marginalized, Pope Francis stressed that the benefits of AI development must be shared by all. According to Vatican News, during an AI conference hosted by the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice (CAPP) Foundation in June last year, he stated, “The power of a few large tech corporations must be limited.” In his final prayer intention this April, he also urged the ethical use of technology.
Pope Francis also emphasized, “AI must remain a tool for humanity,” calling for ongoing discussions to ensure humans are not dominated by technology.
An industry insider remarked, “Pope Francis highlighted both the existential risks and potential of AI. It’s important to reflect on his concerns about AI technology serving all of humanity.”
