Key facts
- A delegation of U.S. House lawmakers met with Pope Francis at the Vatican.
- Discussions centered on AI's ethical implications, human dignity, and equality.
- Pope Francis has expressed concerns about AI potentially increasing inequality and eroding moral responsibility.
- Lawmakers discussed the global competition for AI supremacy among nations like the U.S. and China.
- Representative Ro Khanna plans to propose legislation to tax autonomous AI agents.
A delegation of U.S. House lawmakers, including Representative Ro Khanna, visited the Vatican to engage in discussions with Pope Francis regarding artificial intelligence. The meetings focused on critical principles such as religious freedom, the economic and geopolitical risks posed by AI, and broader ethical and existential implications.
Khanna highlighted two core principles: human dignity and equality. He defined human dignity as ensuring humans remain responsible for key decisions in areas like health, finance, individual freedom, and public services. Equality, in this context, means preventing mass unemployment due to automation and ensuring AI does not lead to exclusion from social services. Khanna also voiced concerns about a concentration of power where a few billionaires could control data and algorithms.
While the Vatican did not comment, Pope Francis has previously taken a keen interest in AI. An encyclical issued in May urged nations to safeguard humanity from AI's potential to deepen inequality, fray the social fabric, and erode moral responsibility if ethical guardrails are not implemented. Congress has been active with numerous AI bills and hearings but has yet to establish a comprehensive federal framework.