Pope Francis opened his remarks at the G7 Summit with a game-time decision:
Here are two versions… a long one and a short one. I'll only read the short one.
In his address to the leaders of seven of the world's most advanced countries—from Joe Biden to the Prime Minister of Japan—the Pope denounced something that is not prohibited by United States law: the use of lethal autonomous weapons.
POPE FRANCIS
In light of the tragedy that is armed conflict, it is urgent to reconsider the development and use of devices like the so-called “lethal autonomous weapons” and ultimately ban their use. This starts from an effective and concrete commitment to introduce ever greater and proper human control. No machine should ever choose to take the life of a human being.
The Pope's remarks were centered on artificial intelligence. While recognizing the power and benefits of this advanced technology, Pope Francis warned against the greater divide it could create between advanced and developing nations as well as the risk it poses for human dignity.
POPE FRANCIS
We would condemn humanity to a future without hope if we took away people’s ability to make decisions about themselves and their lives, by dooming them to depend on the choices of machines. We need to ensure and safeguard a space for proper human control over the choices made by artificial intelligence programs: human dignity itself depends on it.
Concluding his speech, Pope Francis spoke of the importance and necessity of “sound politics” and said it is the only thing that is capable of changing the structural deficiencies that plague global society.
Within his few hours at the G7 Summit in the Italian region of Puglia, Pope Francis not only delivered an address, but held up to 10 bilateral meetings with world leaders.
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