Pope Francis emphasises that AI progress must serve humankind

In his November 2020 prayer intention, Pope Francis spoke about advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics as key drivers of change, and emphasised the potential of these technologies to contribute to a better world if guided by common good principles. The Pope drew attention to the inequalities that could be generated by technological progress, and called for future technological advancements to ‘be oriented towards respecting the dignity of the person’. Robotics and AI, he noted, should always serve humankind and ‘be human’.