Chelsea, once again, I'm going to be focusing on AI because I feel like that's one of the things
where I'm not just conveying bad information and you just get weird stories. Okay, I like it.
And I have to do find a bad news that needs to be conveyed article, but we're not doing that one.
We're going to do this one at stand. Oh, great. That's great. It's from the Associated Press,
AP News. This was published on January 18, 2024 by Francis D'Amelio. Title,
The Vatican's top expert on AI ethics is a friar from a medieval Franciscan order.
Wait, what? Yeah. Did I understand that correctly? I don't know. Let's find out.
Friar Paolo Bonanti wears the plain brown roads of his medieval Franciscan order as he pursues one
of the most pressing issues of contemporary times. How to govern artificial intelligence so that it
enriches and does not exploit people's lives. This is a job at the Vatican for a friar. For a friar.
Bonanti is the Vatican's go-to person on the technology, and he is the ear of Pope Francis
as well as some of Silicon Valley's top engineers and executives. With a background in engineering,
a doctorate in moral theology, and a passion for what he calls the ethics of technology,
the 50-year-old Italian priest is on an urgent mission that he shares with Francis, who, in his
annual piecemesses of 2024, pushed for an international treaty to ensure the ethical use of AI technology.
What is the difference between a man who exists and a machine that functions?
Said Bonanti in an interview with Sweek with the Associated Press during a break at the
Pontifical Gregorian University, where he teaches courses such as moral theology and bioethics to
students preparing for the priesthood. Quote, This is perhaps the greatest question of these times,
because we are witnessing a challenge that every day grows more profound with a machine that is
humanizing. End quote. Bonanti is a member of the United Nations Advisory Board on Artificial
Intelligence, as well as head of an Italian government commission tasked with providing
recommendations on how to safeguard journalism for fake news and other disinformation. He is also
a constant to the Vatican's Pontifical Academy for Life. Bonanti says he helps, quote, better
clarify the more technical terms for the Holy Father, end quote, during their encounters.
His knowledge came in handy for a 2023 meeting at the Vatican between Francis and Microsoft
President Brad Smith that focused on how AI could help or hurt humanity. I am learning so much.
Why was that even a meeting? Yeah. At the Vatican with Microsoft.
Like Chelsea, I just need to share my screen because you need to see it. I'm not even sure what's
going on in this room. I just need to share with you like this is what this guy looks like. And
it's exactly like what you would think. Like that's him just going about his day. Nope, that's a
fryer for sure. There's glasses. That's the thing that threw me off, but that's about it. That's
exactly what I was picturing actually. Yeah. So when everyone's picturing right now, go with it.
That that's what this guy looks like. It is absolutely what he looks like. Yep.
Francis and Smith have also discussed artificial intelligence, quote, at the service of the common
good end quote, during a meeting a few years earlier, according to the Vatican, with a papacy
heavily attentive to those who live on society's margins. Francis has made clear his concern that
AI technology could limit human rights by say negatively impacting a home buyer's mortgage
application, a migrants asylum bid or an evaluation of a offenders likelihood to repeat a crime,
quote, it is clear that if we choose some data that aren't sufficiently inclusive,
we will have some choices that aren't inclusive, end quote said Benanti, whose religious order was
founded nearly 13th century by St Francis of Assisi, who are now certainly riches and promoted
charitable works. Microsoft first reached out to Benanti several years ago for his thoughts on
technology, the fryer said. And in 2023, Smith did a podcast with Benanti in Rome,
describing the fryer as bringing quote, one of the most fascinating combinations in the world,
end quote, in terms of his background in engineering, ethics and technology to the AI debate.
This is just information. There's a bit more. Please go read the article just because you need
to see this guy to confirm that he does look like what you think and like information. I had no idea
this was going on. Not any single word that you just said was anything that I ever thought possible.
Like I really think this is on like Pinkerton level of things, we're just things just keep
happening. You're like, wait, what? Yeah, the things just keep happening in the article. There's
a whole world out there that I never thought possible. Have you just kept going? But yeah,
for those of you who were worried that the Pope isn't up to date on his AI thought,
you rest assured the friars have him covered. Yeah, there's someone for that job in the back.
And I'm sure that this has sparked like many questions that you will be thinking about over
the next 48 hours. I know they have me in the meantime, like I hope they keep you occupied.
We will see you on Friday. Bye.