…as Ekiti Catholic Diocese set for Communication Day this Sunday
By Precious Oham
His Holiness Pope Francis has thrown his support behind the use of artificial intelligence as a means of social communications.
Pope Francis stated this in his message commemorating the 58th World Day of Social Communications with the theme: “Artificial Intelligence and the Wisdom of the Heart: Towards a Fully Human Communication.”
According to the Pope, the emergence of digital revolution can lead to freedom in the pluralism of information and the development of thought-process of human beings.
He went further to call on the
international community to work together in order to adopt a binding international treaty that regulates the use of artificial intelligence.
He said: “The use of artificial intelligence can make a positive contribution to the communications sector, provided it does not eliminate the role of journalism on the ground but serves to support it. Provided too that it values the professionalism of communication, making every communicator more aware of his or her responsibilities, and enables all people to be, as they should, discerning participants in the work of communication.
“The digital revolution can bring us greater freedom, but not if it imprisons us in models that nowadays are called “echo chambers”. In such cases, rather than increasing a pluralism of information, we risk finding ourselves adrift in a mire of confusion, prey to the interests of the market or of the powers that be.
“If, on the one hand, we can glimpse the spectre of a new form of slavery, on the other, we can also envision a means of greater freedom; either the possibility that a select few can condition the thought of others, or that all people can participate in the development of thought.
“Like every other product of human intelligence and skill, algorithms are not neutral. For this reason, there is a need to act preventively, by proposing models of ethical regulation, to forestall harmful, discriminatory and socially unjust effects of the use of systems of artificial intelligence and to combat their misuse for the purpose of reducing pluralism, polarizing public opinion or creating forms of groupthink.
“I once more appeal to the international community to work together in order to adopt a binding international treaty that regulates the development and use of artificial intelligence in its many forms. At the same time, as in every human context, regulation is, of itself, not sufficient.”
Meanwhile a special service to mark this year’s communication day comes up on Sunday at the st Patrick Cathedral, Ado Ekiti by 10.30am.