By Vatican News
The Cardinal Secretary of State has sent a message to participants in the international conference “The Dignity of Children and Adolescents in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” taking place in Rome.
Warning of the risk that humanity could bring about “its own extinction” through the creation of artificial forms of life that fail to respect human dignity, Cardinal Pietro Parolin called for concerted “interdisciplinary and multicultural efforts.”
“Are we standing at the threshold of a new era, or will human beings sooner or later bring about their own extinction through the introduction of artificial forms of life? Will we degenerate into mere simulations that no longer recognise human dignity?” he asked, inviting those present to reflect on the ethical, legal, social and anthropological implications of AI.
The international conference that sees the participation of authoritative figures of the academic, scientific and technological world, is organised by the Italian helpline for children, Telefono Azzurro, and the Foundation Child for Study and Research into Childhood and Adolescence.
Existential and moral Issues
In his message, the Cardinal described the topic as especially significant because it touches on the protection and dignity of children, “one of the greatest challenges facing humanity today and in the future.”
He acknowledged the “opportunities” offered by science and technology, which inevitably contribute to human freedom and responsibility. Yet, he observed, these rapid advances, particularly in artificial intelligence, raise “existential and moral questions on a scale rarely seen before.”
Towards human and spiritual progress
For this reason, Cardinal Parolin encouraged “an evaluation of the opportunities and risks of the digital age for the benefit of human beings, the human community, and creation as a whole.” Such discernment, he notes, “is also useful for drawing appropriate conclusions for concrete action, for example in the areas of politics, legislation, education, and the design of social support services.”
“All this,” he added, “can only take place through interdisciplinary and multicultural efforts if we are to do justice to the complexity of the issue and the diversity of human realities.”
The Cardinal concluded by recalling the words of Pope Francis at the World Congress on Child Dignity in the Digital World, held at the Pontifical Gregorian University in 2017: “We have the freedom needed to limit and direct technology; we can put it at the service of another type of progress, one which is healthier, more human, more social, more integral.” – Vatican News
