During a visit to Singapore on Thursday, Pope Francis warned about the negative impacts of artificial intelligence on society.
The head of the Catholic Church cautioned that AI could cause people to forget about what truly matters: human relationships.
Speaking at a reception in the high-tech city-state, the Pope emphasized, “Technology developments risk isolating individuals and putting them into a false reality.” He urged that instead of driving people apart, AI should be used to bring people closer and promote understanding and solidarity within society.
This is not the first time Pope Francis has voiced concerns about AI. Earlier this year, at the G7 summit in June held in Italy, he called on the Group of Seven (G7) leading industrial democracies to ensure that AI is not left unchecked.
Singapore is the last stop of the 87-year-old Pope’s longest foreign trip to date, which lasted 12 days. Before arriving in Singapore, he visited Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, and East Timor. A large mass in a sports stadium in Singapore is expected to draw about 50,000 people in the afternoon.
According to the Vatican, out of the nearly six million residents in Singapore, only 176,000 are Catholic, with the majority of the population having Chinese roots.
Pope Francis is scheduled to fly back to Rome on Friday.
