At a recent conference on the challenges of artificial intelligence, Christof Koch made clear in his remarks that the stakes were high: "By mid-century, humanity will be surrounded by ubiquitous, flexible, highly intelligent autonomous agents, and this will profoundly affect our future--including whether we have any." Dr. Koch--who is the chief scientist of the Mindscope Program at the Allen Institute for brain science in Seattle--was speaking to a group of roughly a hundred academics, diplomats and journalists. The conference was hosted by the Vatican at the Cancelleria, a 15th-century Renaissance palace in Rome, and centered around the theme of "the challenge of artificial intelligence for human society and the idea of the human person." This was the second event at the Vatican to focus on artificial intelligence, commonly abbreviated as A.I. Just before Italy entered into a nationwide lockdown last year, the Pontifical Academy for Life held a workshop on A.I. in February 2020. This workshop ultimately produced a "Call for AI Ethics," which was signed by Microsoft, IBM, the Food and Agricultural Organization of the United Nations and the Italian government, in addition to the Academy.

Pope Francis has invited Catholics around the world to pray that robotics and artificial intelligence will remain always at the service of human beings. He made the appeal in his prayer intention for November. "We pray that the progress of robotics and artificial intelligence may always serve humankind," reads the prayer intention, which is publicized each month by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network. The prayer intention is the latest expression of concern about the direction of cutting-edge technology to emerge from the Vatican. In February, the Pontifical Academy for Life signed an appeal for the ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI), a branch of computer science devoted to building machines which can perform tasks that ordinarily require human intelligence. The document, which was also signed by presidents of IBM and Microsoft, called for the promotion of "Algor-ethics."

The Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life, which began the year by urging the ethical development and application of artificial intelligence (AI), has announced an effort to use technology to fight world hunger, which has worsened during the pandemic. The Vatican institution, in collaboration with IBM, Microsoft and the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, or FAO, is encouraging governments, nonprofits and corporations to assure that technology is used to feed everyone, and to make farmers' lives more efficient and productive. In its quest to assure the transparent, responsible and inclusive use of AI, the Vatican and FAO are pushing for solutions in agriculture that will benefit not just the well off, but also the poor. "We need to face the biggest challenges on the planet," said John E. Kelly III, executive vice president of IBM. Kelly, who participated in the FAO and Pontifical Academy's Sept. 24 virtual conference announcing the effort against hunger, was one of the signers of the Vatican's call for AI ethics in February. The Vatican's effort to promote ethical AI for social good includes a new program to use digital technology to ensure a more sustainable and efficient global food supply.

As part of its ongoing collaboration with two of the world's leading developers of AI software, the Pontifical Academy for Life will launch a new joint project looking at ethical ways artificial intelligence can be used to guarantee food security. The academy, together with the heads of Microsoft, IBM and the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization, were to unveil details about the project at an online event Sept. 24. The goals of the event include presenting concrete solutions to the agri-food business with the ethical use of AI and looking at the "post COVID-19 route" to take, the academy said in a press release Sept. 15. "Concrete experiences of using artificial intelligence to ethically address global environmental challenges will be presented," it said. Titled, "AI, Food for All: Dialogue and Experiences," the conference was a follow-up to a Feb. 28 event held at the Vatican that included the signing of a "Call for AI Ethics" by the leaders of the papal academy, Microsoft, IBM, the FAO and a representative of the Italian government.

A commission representing the European Union's Catholic bishops has called on EU institutions to follow a "human-centric approach" on Artificial Intelligence, ensuring new information technologies "promote the common good and serve the lives of all human beings". "AI is a strategic technology that offers many benefits for citizens and the economy - it will change our lives by improving healthcare, increasing the efficiency of farming, contributing to climate change mitigation and adaptation and improving the efficiency of production systems", the COMECE report said. COMECE, a Brussels-based commission, represents the EU's Catholic bishops inside and outwith Europe. "At the same time, AI entails a number of potential risks, such as gender-based or other kinds of discrimination, opaque decision-making or intrusion into our private lives...AI should work for people and be a force for good in society". The report, published as part of an EU consultation, said the Catholic Church welcomed attempts to establish a "solid European approach" to AI, which would be "deeply grounded on human dignity and protection of privacy", and cover child safety, data protection, cyber-security and money-laundering.

I offer you a cordial greeting on the occasion of the General Assembly of the Pontifical Academy for Life. I thank Archbishop Paglia for his kind words. I am grateful too for the presence of the President of the European Parliament, the FAO Director-General and the other authorities and leaders in field of information technology. I also greet those who join us from the Conciliazione Auditorium. And I am heartened by the numerous presence of young people: I see this as a sign of hope.

It might not be the first place you imagine when you think about robots. But in the Renaissance splendour of the Vatican, thousands of miles from Silicon Valley, scientists, ethicists and theologians gather to discuss the future of robotics. The ideas go to the heart of what it means to be human and could define future generations on the planet. The workshop, Roboethics: Humans, Machines and Health was hosted by The Pontifical Academy for Life. The Academy was created 25 years ago by Pope John Paul II in response to rapid changes in biomedicine.

The Vatican says it is teaming up with Microsoft on an academic prize to promote ethics in artificial intelligence. Pope Francis met privately on Wednesday with Microsoft President Brad Smith and the head of a Vatican scientific office that promotes Catholic Church positions on human life. The Vatican said Smith and Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia of the Pontifical Academy for Life told Francis about the international prize for an individual who has successfully defended a dissertation on ethical issues involving artificial intelligence. The winner will receive 6,000 euros ($6,900) and an invitation to Microsoft's Seattle headquarters. The Vatican says Smith discussed artificial intelligence "at the service of the common good" during the papal meeting.

The Vatican says it is teaming up with Microsoft on an academic prize to promote ethics in artificial intelligence. Pope Francis met privately on Wednesday with Microsoft President Brad Smith and the head of a Vatican scientific office that promotes Catholic Church positions on human life. The Vatican said Smith and Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia of the Pontifical Academy for Life told Francis about the international prize for an individual who has successfully defended a dissertation on ethical issues involving artificial intelligence. The winner will receive 6,000 euros ($6,900) and an invitation to Microsoft's Seattle headquarters. The Vatican says Smith discussed artificial intelligence "at the service of the common good" during the papal meeting.

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