Use of AI in the military field, “a destructive spiral”, denounces the Pope

Vatican City. Pope Leo XIV denounced the race towards artificial intelligence (AI) in the military sphere, seeing in the “delegation to machines a destructive spiral”, on the occasion of his first message for the World Day of Peace, published yesterday.

“We see to what extent technological advances and the application of artificial intelligence in the military sphere have radicalized the tragic dimension of armed conflicts,” lamented the American-Peruvian pope, who since his election in May has on several occasions advocated for the ethical use of AI.

“We are even witnessing a process of de-responsibility of political and military leaders, due to the growing ‘delegation’ to machines of decisions related to the life and death of humans,” he added, seeing in this an “unprecedented destructive spiral.”

Autonomous drones, anti-missile systems equipped with predictive algorithms… In recent years, several states have taken advantage of the development of AI to automate surveillance, cyber defense and their weapons systems, which raises questions about possible ethical drifts.

Evoking “a great feeling of helplessness in the face of the increasingly uncertain course of events,” the leader of the Catholic Church also rejected any use of religion for political purposes.

“Unfortunately, it is increasingly common in the contemporary panorama to introduce words of faith into political combat, to bless nationalism and religiously justify violence and armed struggle,” he denounced.

For the Supreme Pontiff, the global arms race for preventive purposes is an “antagonistic logic that contributes to the destabilization of the planet, which becomes more dramatic and unpredictable every day.” Likewise, it denounces in particular the nuclear deterrent and the exponential increase in military spending.

Celebrated every January 1 by the Catholic Church since 1968, the World Day of Peace is the occasion for the Pope to publish a message that calls on the faithful and political leaders to promote peace and justice.