Bishop Gabriele Caccia, the permanent observer of the Holy See to New York reiterated the need to “promote lasting peace” and indicated that the development of emerging technologies can be focused on this purpose.
“True progress can only be found in the application of emerging technologies to the search for justice and peace, and not to the aggravation of inequalities and conflicts,” said the prelate, quoting Pope Francis’ message for the 57th Day Peace World Cup, which was celebrated on 1 January 2024.
Vatican News reported that Bishop Caccia participated in the session of the UN Disarmament Commission where emerging technologies were discussed. In this he reiterated the call of the Holy See to prevent society from falling into the risk of the “technocratic paradigm”, that is, believing that “all technological progress is inherently legitimate and meritorious.”
In that sense, going to the military field, the Vatican representative referred to the “development and use of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS)”, which are directed through artificial intelligence.
These, “without adequate human control, would raise fundamental ethical problems, given that LAWS can never be morally responsible subjects and capable of respecting international humanitarian law,” said Bishop Caccia.
For this reason, the archbishop called for “ensuring adequate, meaningful and coherent human oversight of weapons systems.”
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Bishop Caccia warned that if the pursuit of justice and the protection of human rights are not taken into account, “it will be difficult to build trust in a way that promotes lasting peace.”
On 4 March, Bishop Ettore Balestrero, permanent observer of the Holy See at the UN in Geneva, also conveyed the Vatican’s concern about the increase in the use of weapons directed by artificial intelligence and the risk that comes with giving them “the last word” about people’s lives.
Bishop Balestrero explained that the use of these weapons also leads to “a lesser perception of the devastation they cause and the responsibility of their use, contributing to an even colder and more distant approach to the immense tragedy of war.”