Pope decries 'crisis of truth' in AI message to Davos forum

By Joshua McElwee

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis on Thursday urged political, economic and business leaders at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos to keep close oversight of the development of artificial intelligence, warning the technology can exacerbate a growing "crisis of truth".

In a written message read to the annual meeting at the Swiss resort town, which is partly focusing on A.I. this year, the pontiff praised the technology's abilities but said it also raises "critical concerns" about humanity's future.

"The results that A.I. can produce are almost indistinguishable from those of human beings, raising questions about its effect on the growing crisis of truth in the public forum," Francis said.

"To navigate the complexities of A.I., governments and businesses must exercise due diligence and vigilance," he said in the statement read on his behalf at the Davos meeting by Cardinal Peter Turkson, a Vatican official.

Francis, leader of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church since 2013, has focused on ethical issues surrounding artificial intelligence in recent years.

He spoke about the technology at the Group of Seven summit in Italy last June, and said people should not let algorithms decide their destiny.

The pope was also the victim of a viral deepfake photo in early 2024, created by an image generating program, which appeared to show him wearing an ankle-length white puffer coat.

(Reporting by Joshua McElwee; editing Philippa Fletcher)

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