AI in the Vatican: Experts warn of dangers for children and society!

AI in the Vatican: Experts warn of dangers for children and society!

In the Vatican, a three -day conference that started on March 20, 2025 ensures great concern about the effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on children. Experts discuss the dangers that, in addition to sexual exploitation, also include incorrect identities and distorted information. This conference, organized by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, is carried out in cooperation with the Swedish World Childhood Foundation and the child protection institute of the Gregoriana University. Academy President Joachim von Braun expressed that the digital sphere is now the most important communication room for minors and emphasized the growing serious threat from addiction risks and a changed social behavior caused by AI. This reported Kathpress.

A central theme of the conference are also the ethical aspects in dealing with KI, such as Vatican news informed. In a just published document entitled "Antiqua et Nova" it becomes clear that AI cannot be seen as an independent intelligence, but as a product of human work. The Pope's warnings about the dangers of AI, for example in the areas of education, economy and health, increase because there are unpredictable effects and the responsibility is largely in the hands of less powerful companies. The authors emphasize that AI has significant opportunities and serious risks, especially in conflict situations where autonomous weapon systems could be an uncontrollable threat to humanity.

important topics

The document lists numerous challenges, including the risk of discrimination, digital ravine and social inequality, which can be tightened by the unequal distribution of AI technologies. The conference participants emphasize that the long -term consequences of AI for children raise considerable ethical questions and that strict legislation is necessary to protect children on the net. For example, Jesuit Father Hans Zollner from the Gregoriana University reported that the EU lacks legal framework conditions that are against cyber crime that often affects minors.

Together these debates form an urgent plea for a responsible handling of AI, both in the upbringing and in the care of interpersonal relationships and in the economic sector. The Vatican, as a globally recognized institution, plays an important role in the formulation of ethical standards and sensitization for these critical topics.