--- title: "The Pope Says AI Could Lead Humanity to “Barbarism”" description: "At a conference at the Vatican last week, Pope Francis warned that in the wrong hands, AI could have some devastating consequences on humanity." date: "2019-09-30" modified: "2019-09-30" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/pope-ai-humanity-barbarism" categories: - "Artificial Intelligence" tags: - "ai" - "artificial intelligence" - "pope" - "the digest" --- # The Pope Says AI Could Lead Humanity to “Barbarism” ![At a conference at the Vatican last week, Pope Francis warned that in the wrong hands, AI could have some devastating consequences on humanity.]() *\Image: Jeon Han/Victor Tangermann\* ## AI Regression At a conference at the Vatican last week, Pope Francis warned a group of Silicon Valley execs that in the wrong hands, artificial intelligence could have devastating consequences for humanity. "If mankind's so-called technological progress were to become an enemy of the common good, this would lead to an unfortunate regression to a form of barbarism dictated by the law of the strongest," he said, [according to Reuters](). ## Barbarism The development of advanced AI can "raise increasingly significant implications in all areas of human activity," the Pope said. He also called for "open and concrete discussions" to develop "both theoretical and practical moral principles." The conference also grappled with the March 2019 attacks in Christchurch, New Zealand, and how social media platforms [helped spread]() footage taken during the shootings, [according to *TIME*](). In fact, [*NBC* reported]() earlier this month that videos of the attack were still circulating on Facebook months later, suggesting the company's efforts — including the use of special AI tools – were not enough to contain the footage online. ## Holy Ghost in the Machine Executives attending the conference represented tech megacorporations including Facebook, LinkedIn, and Mozilla. A number of bishops and academics joined as well. It's not the first time the Pope has met with tech executives to discuss the ethics of AI. In February, [he met]() with the president of Microsoft, Brad Smith, to discuss how AI could be used to help alleviate global inequality rather than make it worse. **READ MORE:** [Pope urges Silicon Valley to avoid slide toward new "barbarism"]() \[*Reuters*\] **More on the Pope:** *[Pope to Oil Execs: “Energy Use Must Not Destroy Civilization”]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()