Vatican to host event on ‘Risks and Opportunities of AI for children'

By Edoardo Giribaldi

Strengthening government regulations from an ethical point of view, placing the ‘safety, privacy and dignity’ of children at the centre.

Those are the objectives of the event presented today, 20 March, at the Holy See Press Office: ‘Risks and Opportunities of AI for Children: A Common Commitment for Safeguarding Children’.

The event, which is taking place on the 21st and 22nd of March, is organised by the Pontifical Academy of Sciences in collaboration with the World Childhood Foundation and the Institute of Anthropology (IADC) at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

Speakers at the press conference included Cardinal Peter Turkson, Chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences and the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences; Professor Joachim von Braun, President of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences; Professor Hans Zollner, Director of the IADC at the Pontifical Gregorian University; and Britta Holmberg, Deputy Secretary of the World Childhood Foundation.

AI should not remain in private hands

Cardinal Turkson opened his speech by highlighting the collective nature of the project and the Holy See’s interest in new technologies.

Beyond discussions on a new ethics of algorithms, so-called "algorethics," Cardinal Turkson said, it is necessary to debate the responsibilities of individual states to ensure that artificial intelligence does not remain solely "in private hands."

Engaging in dialogue with tech companies

Professor Von Braun highlighted that the risks associated with new technologies are increasingly evident to the scientific community. These include social media addiction – which significantly affects children's brain development – privacy violations, and the manipulation of children’s preferences for commercial purposes.

"For years, mathematics was considered a discipline without ethical implications," said Von Braun in reference to the algorithms that govern new technologies. "Today, this is no longer the case."

The academic stressed that much work remains to be done in the political sphere. In the European Union, for example, draft legislation has been stalled for two years, while in the United States, engaging in dialogue with major tech companies, such as Alphabet (Google’s parent company), is crucial. In this context, Professor Von Braun said, the Pontifical Academy of Sciences can facilitate constructive discussions.

Cooperation to detect abuse

Professor Zollner underscored the foresight of the Holy See, which as early as 2017 identified “the representatives of companies leading technological developments” as key players in child protection.

Over the years, this process has been interrupted but must now be resumed—especially by the Church, whose primary mission is to safeguard the most vulnerable.

The Holy See, Zollner explained, has a "unique" opportunity: bringing all relevant stakeholders together to address issues that, if tackled in isolation, risk remaining unresolved.

Data on online violence

Britta Holmberg presented the efforts of the World Childhood Foundation, an organization founded by Queen Silvia of Sweden 25 years ago to address issues that, at the time, few leaders openly discussed. She stressed the importance of protecting the most vulnerable children, such as migrants, orphans, and homeless minors.

The data on online abuse Holmberg cited is alarming: one in five girls and one in seven boys have been victims of various forms of violence on the internet.

"Technology is part of the problem, but it must also be part of the solution," she declared – in so doing, pointing out the same duality noted by Pope Francis, who has repeatedly stressed that new tools present both risks and opportunities.