Speeches

The Pontifical Academy for Life, Microsoft, IBM, FAO and the Italian Government signed the Rome Call for AI Ethics on February 28th 2020, in Rome, at the end of a congress entitled “RenAIssance. For a Human-centric Artificial Intelligence.” The Call promotes a sense of shared responsibility among international organizations, governments, institutions and technology companies with a view to creating a future in which digital innovation and technological progress ensure the centrality of man.

Mons. Vincenzo Paglia

President of the Pontifical Academy for Life

The Call’s intent is to build a movement that spreads and involves other entities – public institutions, NGOs, industries and groups – in an effort to drive the development and use of AI technologies. From this perspective, we may say that the signature of this call is not the end of a journey, rather a starting point for an engagement that appears now all the more urgent and important than ever before. Endorsing this initiative entails for its signatories a relevant engagement in terms of costs and industrial commitment for the development and distribution of their products. If the Academy feels called to intensify its commitment to build awareness around the Call and encourage other stakeholders to sign it, then the Call is the first in a long series of initiatives. The Call’s text marks the first attempt to lay out a series of ethical criteria with common values, thus contributing to the development of a common language that can help interpret everything that is human.

Audio

In Italian

Brad Smith

President of Microsoft
Microsoft is proud to be a signatory of the Rome Call for AI Ethics, which is an important step in promoting a thoughtful, respectful, and inclusive conversation on the intersection of digital technology and humanity. I am inspired by his Holiness’ commitment and contributions to this important dialogue, and thank him, the Pontifical Academy for Life and the other representatives of the Holy See for today’s announcement.

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In English

John Kelly III

IBM Executive Vice President
Artificial intelligence is an incredibly promising technology that can help us make the world smarter, healthier and more prosperous, on condition that AI is developed according to human values and interests from the beginning. The Rome Call for AI Ethics is a reminder that we must thoroughly consider the needs of those who shall benefit from AI and significantly invest in the necessary skills. The society shall be more trustful in AI when each can see that its development relies upon ethical principles and that AI companies are directly addressing all the issues connected to trust and responsibility.

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In English

DONGYU QU

FAO Director-General
Artificial Intelligence needs to be transparent, inclusive, socially beneficial and accountable. We need to ensure the human-centric approach in designing and implementing artificial intelligence today and in the future. From a food system transformation perspective, we look at digitalization, big data and artificial intelligence as sources of hope.

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In English

David Sassoli

President of the European Parliament
In the age of globalization, if processes are not governed, they may generate forms of marginalization. In fact, artificial intelligence may
allow for an enormous concentration of power to the detriment of the most vulnerable. Today more than ever, we need to devise policies that enable us to reap the fruits of technological progress, while granting the respect of those social standards that represent for all of us invaluable achievements.

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In Italian

Prof. Paolo Benanti

Scientific Director

In the age of globalization, if processes are not governed, they may generate forms of marginalization. In fact, artificial intelligence may
allow for an enormous concentration of power to the detriment of the most vulnerable. Today more than ever, we need to devise policies that enable us to reap the fruits of technological progress, while granting the respect of those social standards that represent for all of us invaluable achievements.

Audio

In Italian

The Call: a brief presentation Abp. Paglia reads the Pope’s speech to the participants

In Italian