The Vatican and Big Tech, Pentagon release overlapping AI commandments

It is hard to know what it means when a global religious figure, two iconic technology giants and the Pentagon all find themselves on the same side of an argument. The U.S. Department of Defense issued five principles Feb. 24 for its own use of artificial intelligence, including biometric systems like facial recognition. Systems need to be responsible, equitable, traceable, governable and reliable. Four days later, at the end of a Vatican workshop examining artificial intelligence ethics and law, Pope Francis, Microsoft Corp., IBM Corp. and other invited organizations called for "new forms of regulation" and six principles that overlap with the Defense Department's list. The document, titled Rome Call for AI Ethics and backed by the Pope, says every stage and aspect of artificial intelligence must adhere to ideals of transparency, inclusion, responsibility, impartiality, reliability, security and privacy.