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Pope Leo calls for the disarmament of AI: ‘Machines are tools, not persons’
The Verge • • world
Key Points:
- Pope Leo XIV urged the disarmament of AI systems and emphasized human responsibility to guide, change, or reject AI applications, calling on UN member states to ban lethal autonomous weapons at their upcoming Geneva meeting.
- He reiterated that machines are tools, not persons, warning against granting AI systems rights or legal personhood, and stressed that decisions impacting human life and freedom must remain under responsible human oversight.
- This stance aligns with Pope Leo’s earlier papal document focused on protecting human dignity amid AI advancements, and follows Pope Francis’s 2024 call to ban autonomous weapons.
- Pope Leo linked his papal name choice to confronting technological advances, akin to Pope Leo XIII’s leadership during the Industrial Revolution.
- He concluded by advocating for international cooperation to establish shared standards, independent oversight, and accountability mechanisms to manage AI development and mitigate associated risks.
