Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, the Vatican's Permanent Observer to the United Nations in Geneva, pushed for the move, highlighting the moral implications of allowing machines to make life-and-death decisions without human oversight.

In an address on 26th August, Balestrero emphasised the Vatican's concern over the ethical dimensions of using AI-driven "lethal autonomous weapons" (LAWs) in warfare.

"It is profoundly distressing" Balestrero emphasised, "that, adding to the suffering caused by armed conflicts, the battlefields are also becoming testing grounds for more and more sophisticated weapons."

In particular, he insisted that autonomous weapons systems can never be considered "morally responsible entities".

"The human person, endowed with reason, possesses a unique capacity for moral judgement and ethical decision-making that cannot be replicated by any set of algorithms, no matter how complex" Balestrero said.

Weapons restrictions

The Vatican's push comes as Josep Borrell, the EU's top foreign policy official, advocated for fewer restrictions on Ukraine's use of weapons supplied by EU nations.

"The weaponry that we are providing to Ukraine has to have full use, and the restrictions have to be lifted in order for the Ukrainians to be able to target the places where Russia is bombing them. Otherwise, the weaponry is useless" Borrell told reporters.

While traditional weaponry remains predominant in the Ukraine conflict, there is a growing emphasis on AI-driven systems.

Reports suggest Ukraine has become a testing ground for new technologies including autonomous drones. These systems require human intervention to lock onto targets, but experts warn that future advancements could diminish this role, raising significant ethical and safety concerns.

Similarly, Israel has employed autonomous systems in its ongoing conflict in Gaza. However, they use technologies capable of identifying and suggesting targets without human input.

Israel reportedly uses an AI system called "Habsora" to identify bombing targets inside Gaza. It is said to be capable of doing so at a rate much higher than manual detection.

In that context, Balestrero distinguished between a "choice" and a "decision", arguing that the latter is a human act that involves weighing ethical considerations such as human dignity.

"No machine should ever make the decision to take a human life" Balestrero declared.

Sources

Crux Now

CathNews New Zealand

Archbishop Paul Gallagher joined a chorus of concerns raised by various speakers regarding artificial intelligence (AI).

"It is imperative to ensure adequate, meaningful and consistent human oversight of weapon systems," Gallagher said.

"Only human beings are truly capable of seeing and judging the ethical impact of their actions, as well as assessing their consequent responsibilities."

UN advisory board on AI

Additionally, the Vatican advocated for the establishment of an international organisation focused on AI to promote scientific and technological exchange for peaceful purposes and the common good.

The United Nations plans to convene an expert advisory board on AI to explore the science, risks, opportunities and governmental approaches surrounding this technology.

AI has become a central point of interest for nations, multinational groups and tech companies, sparking discussions about its potential benefits and risks.

As a non-voting "permanent observer" in the UN, the Holy See delivered one of the most extensive remarks on AI during the assembly.

Archbishop Gallagher highlighted Pope Francis's concerns about the digital world, including: "It is not acceptable that the decision about someone's life and future be entrusted to an algorithm."

Killer robots

Gallagher called for immediate talks to establish a legally binding agreement governing lethal autonomous weapons systems, often called "killer robots." He proposed "a moratorium on them pending the conclusion of negotiations."

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has also supported banning systems that operate without human control or oversight and violate international humanitarian law.

Additionally, Guterres urged countries to work towards a legally binding prohibition by 2026.

However, concerns have arisen about the potential limitations such a prohibition might impose, especially if adversaries or non-governmental groups develop similar systems. Questions persist regarding the distinction between autonomous weapons and existing computer-aided systems.

Sources

AP News

Mirage News

CathNews New Zealand

The potential of having "swarms of ‘kamikaze' mini-drones" and other advanced weaponry using artificial intelligence raises "serious implications for peace and security," the Vatican permanent observer mission to UN agencies in Geneva said in a statement Aug. 3 to the 2021 Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS).

"The use of swarms in urban areas could lead to high risks for civilians," the statement said. "If functioning without any direct human supervision, such systems could make mistakes in identifying the intended targets due to some unidentified ‘bias' induced by their ‘self-learning capabilities' developed from a limited set of data samples."

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