A delegation representing the Holy See called on the United Nations this week to impose a moratorium on the use of autonomous weapons designed to kill without human judgement.
Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the UN permanent observer in Geneva, issued the warning on Monday at a meeting of experts on emerging technologies in the field of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS).
“For the Holy See, autonomous weapons systems cannot be considered morally responsible entities,” Balestrero explained, “because rational human beings have a unique capacity for moral judgment and ethical decision-making that cannot be replicated by any algorithm, no matter how complex.”
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The Vatican City flag flies outside the United Nations Headquarters in New York City. (Karl Cote/Getty Images)
The Holy See's warning is based on a concern that machines will be unable to understand or appreciate human dignity — a lack of this ability that allows real combatants to make moral judgments based on abstract reasoning and empathy.
The statement borrows heavily from previous writings and speeches by Pope Francis about the risks of unchecked artificial intelligence research.
“The Holy See considers it fundamentally important to place human dignity and ethical considerations at the heart of deliberations. 'It is necessary to ensure and safeguard a proper margin of human control over the choices made by artificial intelligence programs; the very dignity of the human person depends on it,'” the permanent observer said, quoting Pope Francis.
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“The development of increasingly sophisticated weapons is certainly do not have “The undoubted benefits that humanity will derive from current technological progress will depend on the extent to which this progress is accompanied by an appropriate development of the values and responsibilities that put these advances at the service of the overall development of humanity and the common good,” Balestrero concluded.
A general view of St. Peter's Basilica and St. Peter's Square during the Pope's Easter Sunday Mass in Vatican City. (Andreas Solaro/AFP via Getty Images)
The Catholic Church has cautiously embraced the introduction of artificial intelligence technology into society, but has repeatedly warned believers that human lives and important decisions should never be left in the hands of programs.
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The Roman Holy See is a sovereign legal entity under international law that represents its jurisdiction over the Holy See and the Catholic Church as a whole. The Roman Holy See is distinct from the sovereign State of Vatican City and from the supranational institution of the Catholic Church. The Roman Holy See also transcends any individual who may at any given time bear the title “Pope.”
The Holy See has maintained non-voting observer state status at the United Nations since 1964. It is one of two countries with such a designation, the other being the State of Palestine.
