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US Papal Visit / Flickr
CV NEWS FEED // The Vatican released a document this week addressing the complex relationship between human intelligence and artificial intelligence (AI), urging reflection on this “new and significant phase in humanity’s engagement with technology.”
Written by Prefects Víctor Manuel Card. Fernández, and José Card. Tolentino de Mendonça, along with Msgr. Armando Matteo, and Most Rev. Paul Tighe, the note was approved by the Pope and ordered to be published Jan. 28, the feast day of Doctor of the Church St. Thomas Aquinas.
The document seeks to differentiate between human and artificial intelligence, present the Christian understanding of intelligence, and offer guidelines to ensure that AI development upholds human dignity and promotes the common good.
The reflection also addresses considerations of AI’s impact on society, human relationships, the economy and labor, healthcare, education, misinformation and deepfakes, privacy and surveillance, climate change concerns, warfare, and human persons’ relationships with God.
The authors cautioned about the development and use of artificial intelligence in particular in the context of God’s desire for humanity to grow in knowledge and innovate in sciences, technology, arts, and beyond. They noted that AI’s capacity to mimic human intelligence raises ethical questions concerning truth, responsibility, and safety, and has significant implications.
“As AI advances rapidly toward even greater achievements, it is critically important to consider its anthropological and ethical implications,” the authors wrote. “This involves not only mitigating risks and preventing harm but also ensuring that its applications are used to promote human progress and the common good.”
The authors also clarified the distinction between artificial and human intelligence, writing, “In the case of humans, intelligence is a faculty that pertains to the person in his or her entirety, whereas in the context of AI, ‘intelligence’ is understood functionally, often with the presumption that the activities characteristic of the human mind can be broken down into digitized steps that machines can replicate.”
Moreover, they later wrote, “AI’s advanced features give it sophisticated abilities to perform tasks, but not the ability to think. This distinction is crucially important, as the way ‘intelligence’ is defined inevitably shapes how we understand the relationship between human thought and this technology.”
The authors also stressed the importance of education in forming individuals holistically. Citing the Second Vatican Council, the authors reiterated that true education goes beyond imparting knowledge; it seeks to develop intellectual, cultural, and spiritual aspects of a person, fostering community life and relationships.
While AI can enhance education by providing personalized support and resources, it poses challenges, such as increasing reliance on technology and diminishing independent problem-solving skills. The authors warned that excessive use of AI could lead to superficial learning and a lack of critical thinking.
Rather than training young people to accumulate information and produce quick responses using AI, education should emphasize “the responsible use of freedom to face issues with good sense and intelligence,” the authors wrote.
In the final segment, titled “AI and Our Relationship with God,” the document returned to the fundamental distinction between humans and artificial intelligence, noting that for all the ingenuity with which it was created, AI represents only “a pale reflection of humanity.”
“In contrast,” the authors continued, “human beings, ‘by their interior life, transcend the entire material universe; they experience this deep interiority when they enter into their own heart, where God, who probes the heart, awaits them, and where they decide their own destiny in the sight of God.’”
The authors called for an increase in “human responsibility, values, and conscience” in response to technological advancements, and encouraged consideration of the question “whether in the context of this progress man, as man, is becoming truly better, that is to say, more mature spiritually, more aware of the dignity of his humanity, more responsible, more open to others, especially the neediest and the weakest, and readier to give and to aid all.”
Warning against shifting blame to machines for societal issues, the authors asserted that only humans can bear moral responsibility and that addressing technological challenges requires spiritual growth.
Additionally, they called for a renewed appreciation of the human experience amid the rapid pace of digitization, cautioning against “digital reductionism” that overlooks the non-quantifiable aspects of life.
“The vast expanse of the world’s knowledge is now accessible in ways that would have filled past generations with awe,” the authors wrote. “However, to ensure that advancements in knowledge do not become humanly or spiritually barren, one must go beyond the mere accumulation of data and strive to achieve true wisdom.”
The authors concluded that true wisdom is essential for addressing the profound ethical challenges posed by AI, and true perfection is not measured by a person’s knowledge alone but by the depth of their charity.
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