AI risks poverty, social inequalities, warns Vatican

By Ahmet Gencturk

ATHENS (AA) – Artificial intelligence (AI) risks poverty and social inequalities, among other issues, a new document released by the Vatican warned on Tuesday.

Deliberating on the relationship between artificial intelligence and human intelligence, the note ‘Antiqua et Nova’ said: “AI should not be seen as an artificial form of human intelligence, but as a product of it like any product of human ingenuity.”

“AI could introduce important innovations but it also risks aggravating situations of discrimination, poverty, digital divide, and social inequalities. The concentration of the power over mainstream AI applications in the hands of a few powerful companies raises significant ethical concerns, including the risk that AI could be manipulated for personal or corporate gain or to direct public opinion for the benefit of a specific industry,” it underlined.

The document also warned against the potential risks caused by the use of AI in arms technology.

“Autonomous and lethal weapons systems capable of identifying and striking targets without direct human intervention are a cause for grave ethical concern,” it remarked.

As with human relations, the document maintained that AI could lead to harmful isolation which would pose problems for children's growth.

Misrepresenting AI as a person is a grave ethical violation if this is done for fraudulent purposes, it added.