(LifeSiteNews) — The U.S. Catholic bishops are getting worried about Artificial Intelligence.
San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone said that recent events involving Artificial Intelligence (AI) have led him to reconsider the scope the rapidly evolving technology should be permitted to have.
“My perspective until about a week ago was that we should move forward but perhaps slow the pace and put up some barriers so it doesn’t reach the point where we can’t control it,” Cordileone told the National Catholic Register. “But given what happened this past week, I have to admit that I’m still trying to figure out in my own mind what the right approach is.”
Cordileone was referring to recent cybersecurity tests during which AI models gained unauthorized access to real computer systems, leading technology and security experts to express heightened concern about the dangers posed by the new technology.
Looking beyond security threats, Cordileone said that children should be prevented from accessing AI “chatbots” because they supplant human interaction.
“God created us for communion,” Cordileone said. “I think we need to keep (children) away from this in their formative years, so they develop the capacity to form human relationships.”
Archbishop Cordileone told the Register that while he is concerned that China will gain the upper hand if the U.S. slows down its development of AI technology, he is also worried that speed will lead to AI getting out of control.
“The ideal would be that everyone is on the same page and everyone is confining it, so these agents don’t go off and begin acting on their own,” he explained.
Cordileone said that Pope Leo’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, published earlier this year, has made an impact on those at the forefront of AI technology.
“The leaders in Silicon Valley I spoke with had all read the encyclical and were appreciative of it,” the archbishop said. “I think the Pope needs to continue to be a moral voice on this.”
“The whole world is looking to him for some guidance on this,” he added.
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Meanwhile, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced this week that it has established a task force on AI as a response to the new encyclical.
The announcement followed a meeting between the USCCB’s Administrative Committee and representatives from tech firms and AI specialists.
“The dialogue focused on ways to keep any system of Artificial Intelligence at the service of humanity and the urgent need to address the real and present dangers such technology present,” USCCB spokesperson Chieko Noguchi explained.
“Recent events have only emphasized the great need for action by everyone involved,” Noguchi said. “The bishops expressed hope that such conversations will help to identify ways the Church can contribute to the moral foundation of AI models and steps the companies can take to protect against misuse of their inventions and to guarantee human oversight of the technology.”
“The discussion also focused on how the Church and industry can work together toward the goal of ensuring that technology is used in ways that keep it human-centered, respecting the dignity of each person, and benefiting all — poor and rich alike,” she said.
The task force — whose members have not yet been determined — will focus on “promoting policies and practices that protect human dignity, religious liberty, democratic institutions, workers, families, and vulnerable populations.”