On June 20-22, CAPP Foundation members and guests from Canada attended the Foundation's annual international Conference at the Vatican City. At the request of the Holy Father, this year's theme was Generative Artificial Intelligence and Technocratic paradigm: How to promote the wellbeing of humanity, care for nature and a world of peace. The Holy Father has spoken frequently about this theme, and a week prior to the CAPP Conference, he addressed world leaders on this topic at a G7 Session on Artificial Intelligence, urging the importance of political action to ensure the tool of artificial intelligence is used to support rather than undermine human dignity:
"... artificial intelligence is above all else a tool. And it goes without saying that the benefits or harm it will bring will depend on its use. ... the good use, at least of advanced forms of artificial intelligence, will not be fully under the control of either the users or the programmers who defined their original purposes at the time they were designed. ... We cannot ... conceal the concrete risk, inherent in its fundamental design, that artificial intelligence might limit our worldview to realities expressible in numbers and enclosed in predetermined categories, thereby excluding the contribution of other forms of truth and imposing uniform anthropological, socio-economic and cultural models. The technological paradigm embodied in artificial intelligence runs the risk, then, of becoming a far more dangerous paradigm, which I have already identified as the 'technocratic paradigm'. We cannot allow a tool as powerful and indispensable as artificial intelligence to reinforce such a paradigm, but rather, we must make artificial intelligence a bulwark against its expansion. ... This is precisely where political action is urgently needed. ... It is up to everyone to make good use of it but the onus is on politics to create the conditions for such good use to be possible and fruitful."
These issues and concerns were the focus of much of the CAPP Foundation conference and the audience of its participants with the Holy Father.
Prior to the conference on AI, members met for the annual general meeting, where CAPP Chapters from around the world reported on the last year's activities. Danielle Morin, one of the two coordinators of CAPP-Canada, presented the Canadian report. Other delegates expressed keen interest in CAPP-Canada's new Lumen Gentium Forum, and its September 2024 launch.
The second day began of the meetings focused on AI, and began with a meditation by Archbishop Claudio M. Celli, CAPP's International Ecclesiastical Counsellor, and an opening address by Professor Anna Maria Tarantola, Chairwoman of CAPP. Four keynote speakers and a series of panel discussions (one of them chaired by Professor Morin) delved into the emerging impacts, challenges and opportunities with regard to artificial intelligence and human and natural flourishing. On that evening, CAPP held a banquet reception where participants had more opportunities to mingle and get to know colleagues from other chapters.
Canadian delegate, Paul Mullen, who has a keen professional and personal interest in this topic, highlighted some key points and questions raised:
Machines can't be imbued with wisdom. Communication between people is governed by conventions built into language and customs. It is more than pursuit of goals, it is the product of (and reflection of) human wisdom which is a gift of the Holy Spirit.
Control must be applied to all aspects of AI including goal setting, training and actions.
Should AI be governed via limited interfaces & legal limitations, or should/can it 'learn' appropriate limitations?
The main highlight of the conference for many was the private audience with Pope Francis. Danielle Morin commented: "he reminded us that the whole sector of education, training and communication needs to initiate a coordinated process to expand knowledge and awareness about the correct use of AI and to teach future generations, from childhood on, how to evaluate those tools. Each one of us shook the hand of the Holy Father and assured him of our prayers. It was an amazing experience!"
Professor Morin also highlighted how important it was to meet with, and learn from, other CAPP chapters around the world, especially CAPP-France and CAPP-USA, as well as members of the Foundation board and committees: "I had the opportunity of meeting Mgr Guy-Real Thivierge, a French Canadian living in Rome. He is Secretary General of the International Federation of Catholic Universities. He also was the academic director of the new courses offered by Centesimus Annus Pro Pontefice Foundation on the Social Doctrine of the Church from 20 January to 23 March 2024, both in-person and online. We had very interesting conversation about CAPP-Canada."
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