On Wednesday, the telecommunications company Cisco Systems joined Microsoft and IBM to sign the Vatican pledge. This initiative ensures that organizations use AI ethically and responsibly, making sure the ultimate goal of technology isn’t greed or replacing people with machines.
Cisco and the Rome Call
The Vatican said that the CEO of Cisco, Chuck Robbins, met the pope earlier today. He signed the paper known as the Rome Call. The pledge consists of three impact areas and six principles. The impact areas are ethics, education and rights. The six principles are transparency, inclusion, accountability, impartiality, reliability and security and privacy. More information about the pledge can be found on the Rome Call website.
The Rome Call was released in early 2020 before the pandemic. The first signatories included Mons. Vincenzo Paglia, the President of the Pontifical Academy for Life and Dr. Brad Smith, President of Microsoft. Other signatories include the former Italian minister of innovation Dr. Paola Pisano, IBM executive vice president Dr. John Kelly III and FAO director-general minister Dr. Dongyu Qu. The Rome Call also has numerous supporters and endorsers.
Comments from the Pope
In 2023, Pope Francis received new signatories in an event and was delighted to see the participation of other religious communities and groups. “Your concordance in promoting a culture that places this technology at the service of the common good of all and the care of the common home is exemplary for many others”, said the Pope.
Pope Francis acknowledges that artificial intelligence is becoming part of our daily lives and changing how people interact with the world around them. He wants people to apply algor-ethics or ethical reflection when designing and using AI algorithms. He also encouraged people to be vigilant. “We must therefore be vigilant and work to ensure that the discriminatory use of these instruments does not take root at the expense of the most fragile and excluded.” “Let us always remember that the way we treat the last and least among our brothers and sisters tells us the value we recognise in human beings” said Pope Francis.
The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence technologies is seen everywhere. The users of AI tools like ChatGPT and Claude 3 are increasing daily. This technology is becoming part of our daily lives and learning how to utilize it in a responsible way is mandatory. Artificial intelligence is in a stage similar to the early days of the internet and with global initiatives like the Rome Call, safe and responsible use of the technology will be achieved.