G7, war and the Pope: “Good politics is needed for peace”. The warning about AI

This is not just a historic first time for the Pontiff at the G7. Pope Francis is in all respects a protagonist of the international summit. A circumstance that can be seen from how I pressed the leader on the topic dearest to him, peace. «Can a world without politics function? Can he find an effective path towards universal brotherhood and social peace without good politics? Our answer – says Pope Francis – to these last questions is: no! Politics is useful! A quote from his Encyclical Fratelli tutti which encourages the world’s greats towards the peaceful resolution of conflicts, in an era in which world public opinion lives with bated breath due to the wars between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East. The underlying message that Francis did not explain is all too clear and remains engraved by the Pope’s very presence at the G7. Stop the ongoing wars.

Then, as announced for some time, the Pontiff intervenes on artificial intelligence. “No machine should ever choose whether to take the life of a human being.” And again “a fascinating instrument” but at the same time “tremendous”. But it doesn’t end there because «artificial intelligence could allow a democratization of access to knowledge, the exponential progress of scientific research, the possibility of delegating strenuous work to machines; but at the same time it could bring with it great injustice between nations.” The arrival of Pope Francis in Borgo Egnazia could not have been more spectacular. The Pope is in a hurry given that he arrives in Puglia on board his helicopter twenty minutes ahead of schedule. A circumstance that caught some of the big seven present a little by surprise, as they were busy discussing artificial intelligence at that moment. When he enters the room there is obviously applause. The President of the French Republic Emmanuel Macron almost doesn’t notice the new arrival and barely has time to put on his jacket.

«Certainly for many today, politics – Francis told his interlocutors – is a bad word, and it cannot be ignored that behind this fact there are often mistakes, corruption, the inefficiency of some politicians. Not everyone.” Subsequently, some leaders had a bilateral meeting with the Pope. Among these is the occupant of the White House Joe Biden. A comparison that is not simple also due to the previous meeting in the Vatican in 2021, both then and yesterday the crux of contention between the two is the different vision on abortion. Impact on migrants, given that yesterday the world’s leaders for the first time in a G7 “agreed that it is necessary to build coordination at an international level and develop a new strategy”. Yesterday the bilateral confrontation between the Biden himself and Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni. «Satisfaction with the progress of the relations, sources at Palazzo Chigi say – bilateral and collaboration in the economic-financial field». At the end of the day, Prime Minister Meloni outlined an initial assessment of the event: «In recent days, Italy has been at the center of the world. I am proud of how our nation has managed to amaze once again.”