Papal Alliance With Big Tech on AI

"The Vatican is getting in on the AI craze. The Holy See has releaseda handbook on the ethics of artificial intelligence as defined by the Pope.

The guidelines are the result of a partnership between Francis and Santa Clara University’s Markkula Center for Applied Ethics. Together, they’ve formed a new organization called the Institute for Technology, Ethics, and Culture (ITEC). 

The ITEC’s first project is a handbook titled Ethics in the Age of Disruptive Technologies: An Operational Roadmap....according to Father Brendan McGuire, pastor of St. Simon Parish in Los Altos and an advisor to ITEC, the initiative is the culmination of longstanding interests for the church. 

He argues the Vatican wields a unique ability to bring key players to the table...."The idea was to use the Vatican’s convening power to bring executives from the entire world together" Father Brendan told Gizmodo in an interview. 

Rather than wait for governments to set rules for industry, the ITEC hopes to provide guidance for people within tech companies who are already wrestling with AI’s most difficult questions.

The manual spells out one anchor principle for companies: ensuring that “Our actions are for the Common Good of Humanity and the Environment.” 

Gizmodo