Humanity must be protected from AI’s harmful side

As the search for peace between the US and Iran teeters on the brink, as the world powers’ geopolitical postures seem strained like never before, and as technological shifts increase uncertainty and anxiety in state and society, two key developments have taken place.

One was Pope Leo’s warning last month about the risks of artificial intelligence’s acceleration of wars and its implications for humanity and its future. The second was the pontiff’s disavowal of the Catholic Church’s backing of the so-called just war theory, which has long held that certain conflicts and the resulting suffering are justifiable if they serve a higher good.

Leo’s first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity), calls for the robust regulation of AI, urging developers to work for the common good rather than for profit, with the safeguarding of humankind in mind. The pope denounced the “culture of power” driving the AI race and the technology’s sophisticated remote warfare tools.

Leo, after just a year at the helm of the Catholic Church, is adopting an increasingly forceful tone. He has drawn the ire of US President Donald Trump, particularly due to his criticism of the Iran war and his regular calls to regulate the tech giants that are close to the president and his “Make America Great Again” movement.

Machine learning and AI tools are accelerating the digital transformation and causing social upheaval

Mohamed Chebaro

When the pope adopted his regnal name, he explained that his choice was related to the 19th-century Pope Leo XIII, who used his papacy to address social questions at a time of great transition. It was no coincidence that Leo signed his first encyclical on the 135th anniversary of the promulgation of “Rerum Novarum” (of new matters), the teaching document of Leo XIII, which addressed workers’ rights, the limits of capitalism and the obligation of rulers as the Industrial Revolution was unfolding.

Today’s pope hopes to do something similar to influence the debate as machine learning and AI tools are accelerating the digital transformation and causing social upheaval, some say at the expense of humans.

Many believe the ramifications of AI could reduce individuals to a mere spanner in an algorithm-led order. The pope’s intervention is naturally informed by a theological perspective, which views the AI revolution and the dawn of the machine as an existential threat.

But is anyone taking any notice? AI continues to raise fears with its promises of an alternative, unreasonable and untested existence driven by the machine. Nobody knows whether it will be a catalyst that enriches our lives or a tool that dulls the role of humanity and its endeavors.

In this world, humans have become mere data, fed on machine-churned slop, while others make the cash.

Mohamed Chebaro

All this is happening as the tech giants enjoy free rein, dividing decision-makers and leaders around the globe as their machines claw ever more from the agents of power and the forces of capital and labor. One simple and not very promising example is the backlash against the EU by a US administration doing its utmost to shield Big Tech and prevent any regulation. It states that such constraints would only delay the advancement of the technology, shackle it and limit freedoms.

Leo’s first encyclical ought to be applauded. It is not too late to inject some sense into this algorithm-driven world, in which humans have become mere data, fed on machine-churned slop, while others make the cash. The pope is saying that there is a third way — a way that respects privacy, human dignity and progress. He showed no fear as he shook up the views in Silicon Valley and his courage should be an example for leaders who have been edging away from holding Big Tech to account.

Another no-less-daunting mission for today’s leaders is the need to redefine the dangers AI poses to conflict and the age-old mantra of “just war.” This is a world of killer robots and an ever-reducing threshold for violence that is being normalized by video games and virtual reality headsets worn by soldiers as they guide deadly munitions hundreds or even thousands of miles away.

But are the leaders, the financiers, the corporate tech bros and even humanity generally ready to take a break from our screens and see the reality of the path AI has paved ahead of us? We should ask: are we leading the machine or are we being led by it? And what will be the price of subcontracting to a bot or an AI system decisions with life-changing, even lethal, implications?

• Mohamed Chebaro is a British-Lebanese journalist with more than 25 years of experience covering war, terrorism, defense, current affairs and diplomacy.