For the first time a pope at the summit bringing together Italy, the United States, Canada, France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan.
For the first time a pontiff will take part in the G7. The announcement came from Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and was subsequently confirmed by the Vatican press office: Pope Franesco will be at the event in Borgo Egnazia in Puglia, in mid-June, dedicated to artificial intelligence.
The Pope’s participation, “in presence”, as specified by the Holy See, is scheduled during the session dedicated to artificial intelligence open to non-member countries, the so-called ‘Outreach’.
Melons: decisive contribution from Pope
The Italian presidency of the G7 “intends to enhance the path “promoted by the Holy See” on Artificial Intelligence with the “Rome Call for AI Ethics” and “bring it to the attention of the other leaders on the occasion of the summit in Puglia”, underlined Meloni in video message in which Pope Francis’ participation was made official.
“I am convinced that the presence of His Holiness will make a decisive contribution to the definition of a regulatory, ethical and cultural framework for artificial intelligence,” the prime minister said again.
“Many, and not wrongly, believe” that the advent of Artificial Intelligence is “the greatest anthropological challenge of this era”, said Meloni again, defining it “a technology that can generate great opportunities but brings with it also great risks, as well as inevitably affecting global balances”. “Our commitment is to develop governance mechanisms to ensure that AI is human-centered and human-controlled, that is, that it keeps the human at its center and has the human as its ultimate end.”
According to Meloni, “it is a challenge that none of us can think of facing alone and I think it is essential to valorise the best of the ethical and intellectual reflection that is developing in this area”, he commented.
Pope Fraceco’s attention on AI
Artificial intelligence is at the center of attention of this pontificate, in the awareness that it is a great opportunity, from healthcare to training, but also a transition that must be governed.
Francis himself also spoke about it in two documents this year: the Message for Peace of January 1st and the Message for Social Communications Day.
