Pope Francis in front of the G7: “No machine should take the life of a human being”

Pope Francis called this Friday for a ban on “lethal autonomous weapons,” becoming the first pontiff to address the G7 with a speech on the dangers of artificial intelligence.

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“In light of the tragedy of the armed conflict, it is urgent to reconsider the development and use of devices such as so-called ‘lethal autonomous weapons’ and ultimately ban its use,” the 87-year-old said.

“This is part of an effective and concrete commitment to introduce increasingly greater and adequate human control. “No machine should ever choose to take the life of a human being,” he said at the meeting in Puglia, southern Italy.

Francis, invited by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni to address the Group of Seven summit, has repeatedly denounced the arms industry and those who, according to him, benefit from wars and death.

AI is already being used on the battlefield and its move to modern warfare is raising concerns about the risks of escalation and the role of humans in decision-making.

AI has proven to be faster but not necessarily safer or more ethical, and the development of weapons systems that could kill without human intervention raises ethical and legal challenges.

“Artificial intelligence is at the same time an exciting and fearsome tool,” Francis told leaders gathered at the luxury Borgo Egnazia resort.

“We would condemn humanity to a future without hope if we took away people’s ability to make decisions about themselves and their lives, condemning them to depend on the choices of machines,” he warned.

Rol crucial

The G7, which brings together Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan and the United States, said on Friday that AI “can play a crucial role in promoting the progress and development of our societies.”

“We recognize the impact of AI in the military and the need for a framework for its responsible development and use,” the leaders said in their joint statement.

At a strategic level, AI will produce models of battlefields and propose how to respond to attacks, including perhaps even the use of nuclear weapons.

“We need to guarantee and safeguard a space for adequate human control over the decisions made by artificial intelligence programs: human dignity itself depends on it,” Francis said.

The Argentine pontiff spoke after a series of meetings with world leaders, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, France’s Emmanuel Macron and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau.

Serenity and smiles

Francis had spent the morning clowning around with comedians at the Vatican, including Whoopi Goldberg, Chris Rock and Jimmy Fallon.

He met more than 100 “artists from the world of humor” as part of his efforts to engage with contemporary culture.

“Instead of reading my speech, I’ll do this,” the pontiff said, smiling, as he stuck his thumb in his ear and wiggled his fingers before a room full of comedians.

But he also had a serious message for the comedians gathered from 15 countries, from Argentina to Germany to East Timor.

“Immersed as we are in so many social and personal emergencies, “You have the power to spread serenity and smiles,” the Pope told them.

“You are one of the few who has the ability to speak with very different people, from different generations, origins and cultures,” Francisco said.

Among the 107 comedians They included the British Stephen Merchant, from the television show “The Office”, the American comedian Rock and the Italian Silvio Orlando, who played a scheming cardinal in “The Young Pope”.

Seconds before Francisco arrived, Fallon, host of the “Tonight Show” in the United States, He made the entire audience laugh as he pranced in front.

Goldberg, star of “Sister Act” – a comedy film about nuns – and Julia Louis-Dreyfus of “Seinfeld” waved from the front row as the pope entered the gilded, frescoed room at the Vatican.

Goldberg has previously joked about offering the Pope a cameo in “Sister Act 3.”

When asked if he had pressured Francis on the matter, he joked that “it wasn’t the right time, I’ll probably send him an email,” according to the ANSA news agency.

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