Tridente: The Vatican and AI

How does the Church apply its traditional teachings to today's technological challenges?

The Church traditionally considers the approach to social and cultural interactions, as well as technological tools, to be a key issue. This is particularly important in today's rapidly evolving technological world. In the past two years, artificial intelligence has become accessible to the masses through chat interfaces. It is no coincidence that the ethical and anthropological dilemmas associated with it have also become central to public debates. In this intense situation, it is particularly important for a globally recognized moral authority to remind people and companies of what is right and what should be avoided.

The Church has not been unprepared; for a long time, it has focused on defining ethical principles concerning the fruits of human ingenuity and technological advancement. The Holy See strives to align its universal messages with current realities. In his 1961 encyclical "Mater et Magistra," Saint John XXIII defined the Church as "mother and teacher of all nations." As a teacher of humanity, the Church must prepare to educate its own people. This stance implies that, as a teacher, the Church must address all important public issues. In 1964, the Second Vatican Council's document "Inter Mirifica" on social communication mentioned the "wonderful technical inventions" derived from human ingenuity and creation. These positions reflect the Church's balanced supportive and accompanying role, aiming not to hinder progress but to promote growth that permeates all areas of human life.

Pope Francis addressed artificial intelligence in two messages this year, on the occasion of the World Day of Peace (January 2024) and the World Communications Day (May 2024). The significance of this is that it is rare for him to address a topic so frequently. The Church could apply previous teachings to the new situation and establish the criteria and principles applicable to developers (large corporations), the research world, and individual users. The principles related to artificial intelligence also aim to maintain global security and ensure equal opportunities for all. The essence is to prioritize the "greater good" potential of innovations and strive to preserve the dignity of individuals.

What dangers and opportunities does the Church see in the use of new technologies?

In his messages, Pope Francis expresses concern that we may use our new tools irresponsibly. Both developers and end-users may fall into the trap of pursuing mere economic gain or becoming indifferent to potential negative consequences.

Másfelől a pápai állásfoglalásokban megjelenik az a felismerés is, hogy nagy kulturális átalakulás előtt állunk, amit arra kell használni, hogy tovább gyarapodjunk emberségünkben, és kielégítsük a legszegényebbek és legkiszolgáltatottabbak szükségleteit. A fejlett technológiák szerencsére magukban hordozzák az igazságosság és egyenlőség lehetőségét, a diszkrimináció leküzdését és a biztonsági kockázatok enyhítését. A pápa a társadalmi kommunikációról spirituális hangsúlyú beszédet tartott. Mindannyiunk szívében rejlik a fejlesztést a jó felé irányító kulcs – így lehet összefoglalni a pápai üzenet spirituális elemét – és a szívünkből kell kiindulnia minden döntésnek, ami az emberiség üdvét szolgálja. Fel kell készítenünk a belső világunkat arra, hogy jól éljünk, és értékeljük a saját életünket. Ezt a pásztori feladatot az egyház most és a jövőben is ellátja.

In his speeches, the Pope clearly articulated the anthropological principles by which we should use new technologies: always place the human being at the centre of development, and ensure that technology does not become a victimizer. The Holy See encourages us to use tools creatively, according to our needs and desires.

How can this message be translated into practice?

The Church adopts a dual approach: it provides guidance on the use of new technologies from ethical and anthropological perspectives, and seeks to harness these technologies for institutional goals and evangelization. New technologies can be applied in many areas, playing a significant role in improving education. With the help of artificial intelligence, we can create personalized learning programs tailored to the individual needs and abilities of students, making education more efficient and effective.

These new tools can also greatly assist in simplifying church administration. Artificial intelligence can automate routine tasks such as document management, data entry, and communication. This not only saves time but also reduces the likelihood of human error, making administration more accurate and reliable.

In church media, new technologies offer significant advantages. Artificial intelligence can make content creation more professional, whether it is written materials, videos, or audio content. Automatic translation and text recognition technologies, for instance, enable us to reach a broader audience with our messages, while analytical tools help us better understand our audience's needs and feedback. Artificial intelligence improves workflows, enhances professionalism, and makes many processes much more precise. As a result, the Church can carry out its activities more effectively and efficiently, whether in education, administration, or media.

What could be the Church's specific message to the people

Much depends on the audience we are addressing. The younger generation typically does not concern itself much with the social impacts of artificial intelligence; they use it pragmatically for their daily tasks. If they don't need it, they simply don't use it, regardless of its societal impact. In my experience, older people tend to worry more and want to know more: they are interested in how these technologies work and how they can avoid the risks and problems associated with them. They are often fearful and distrustful of artificial intelligence, perhaps because the media mainly focuses on the problems and difficulties. People become scared when they hear about job losses or the possibility of machines thinking independently.

It's important to have a balanced, deeply ethical conversation that takes risks into account and explains what we can do personally to avoid dangers. 

First and foremost, we must understand that it is not artificial intelligence itself that is responsible for the dangers, but the flesh-and-blood people who design, develop, market, and use it.

We need to make people aware that they hold the key to solutions in their hands. We must understand that the companies behind technological advancements are driven solely by profit. Their goal is not to change the world or replace humans. They have one primary objective: to increase profit. This prompts us to use the tools consciously, as we can choose applications that are safe, transparent, and do no harm, while avoiding others.

Thus, we, the users of these technologies, can significantly influence the direction of development. Does this sound utopian? People might say, "We alone cannot defeat the technological giants." But if we understand that companies are driven by profit, we can impact their weak spot.

It is crucial to be aware that we ourselves feed information and knowledge to the machines. Our personal experiences and curiosity about the world lead us to formulate questions, and in doing so, we voluntarily and freely give our ideas and desires to the machine. Artificial intelligence services use and integrate our inputs as data in their knowledge.

How is the Church preparing to teach the ethical use of artificial intelligence and integrate it into the lives of believers?

As I previously mentioned, the 1961 encyclical states that the Church, as the teacher of humanity, must be prepared to educate its people. The basic principles of our relationship with technology are clear: we must place the human being at the centre, which means we cannot become indifferent users of these technologies; instead, we must use them consciously. Artificial intelligence will have a greater impact on our intellect and knowledge than any previous technology and will spread to all areas of life.

A pasztoráció és a katekézis számos aspektusa minden bizonnyal arra irányul majd, hogy oktassuk a mesterséges intelligencia és az új technológia helyes használatát. Ezt először magunknak kell elsajátítaniuk, hogy jól adhassuk tovább. A pasztorációban sok olyan emberre lesz szükség, akik mélyen ismerik az új technológiával kapcsolatos etikai elveket. Meg kell tanítanunk a hívőknek, hogy hogyan működik, és hogyan integrálhatják ezt a technológiát a mindennapi életükbe. Így kellett volna felkészülni a közösségi médiára és az internetes evangelizációra. Azt a feladatot kissé elhanyagoltuk, és ezért nem tudtuk megakadályozni, hogy az internet mára hatalmas konfliktusokkal terhelt tér legyen, ahol a közösségi hálózatokon gyakran polarizált, gyűlölettel teli interakciók zajlanak.

A mesterséges intelligencia megkönnyíti az emberek manipulálását, ezzel szemben könnyebben megőrzik a szabadságukat azok a társadalmak, ahol kiegyensúlyozott emberek élnek és nem szenvednek a mindennapi élet kétségbeesésétől, hanem élénk belső életminőséggel rendelkeznek. Az oktatás és a képzés szerepe még fontosabbá válik ebben a szakaszban, azért, hogy olyan társadalomban élhessünk, amely képes túllépni az ellentéteken, és elkezd reményteljesen tekinteni a jövőbe. Nem véletlen, hogy az Egyház a következő jubileumot ennek a teológiai erénynek szenteli. A felhívás így szól: „Mindent meg kell tennünk, hogy mindnyájan visszaszerezzük az erőt és a bizonyosságot, hogy nyílt lélekkel tekintsünk a jövőbe”. Amikor megláttam a Szentév témáját: Remény zarándoklatai, úgy gondoltam, hogy ez remek alkalom, mert az emberek ma – legalábbis a fejlett világunkban – paradox módon a jövőképek hiányától szenvednek. Ez a célkitűzés összhangban áll a mai társadalom igényeivel az egyház, amely az emberiség társa kíván lenni.

Are there practical Church guidelines for teaching artificial intelligence?

Az oktatási területet fejleszteni kell, és ezt elsősorban az oktatási intézményeknek kell felkarolniuk. Minden olyan szektor, amely az egyházhoz kapcsolódik és oktatással, képzéssel foglalkozik, kínáljon képzési kurzusokat, és magyarázza el, hogy hogyan használhatjuk úgy a mesterséges intelligenciát, hogy az az emberek életét javítsa. Ezt szervesen össze kell kapcsolnunk azzal, hogy értelmezzük és elmondjuk az antropológiai és etikai alapelveket. Ezt a feladatot elláthatják, és bizonyos esetekben már el is látták, a pápai akadémiák, amelyek gyakorlati kezdeményezéseket is közvetíthetnek. A történelemből, a társadalomból és a hívők szükségleteiből fakadó igények miatt egyre több ilyen, a mesterséges intelligencia gyakorlati használatát segítő képzésre lesz szükség.

We should encourage the education of young people who are open to an anthropological perspective, guiding them towards careers in engineering, neuroscience, and IT, and eventually working in these major technology companies. Initiatives are also needed to motivate young people to engage in the study of artificial intelligence. If young people possess the right values, they will undoubtedly contribute to developing better technologies for companies.

What advice would you give to young people who are interested in artificial intelligence?

First, they should thoroughly understand how artificial intelligence works and the specific field where they intend to examine its applications. It's essential to realize that AI is a complex phenomenon that intersects many disciplines, from neuroscience, biology, and computer science to engineering, communication, and healthcare. While they don't need to become experts in all these areas, they should be familiar with the fundamental concepts and topics within these fields. For example, anyone looking to ethically evaluate how a neurobiologist uses AI should have a basic understanding of neuroscience's core concepts, research questions, and directions. Additionally, they need to grasp the workings of AI itself. Before assessing whether the use of something is ethical, one must understand how it operates, the areas it is applied in, and its potential impacts on individuals. Furthermore, they should have a comprehensive knowledge of Christian ethical principles, anthropology, and the values of Christian personalism. These provide the reference criteria for evaluating AI's operations. All this knowledge and information should be communicated with the expectation that using these tools will improve human life.