Italian
Humanity is magnificent. It is an undeniable truth, confirmed by its innate ability to produce great things, to surpass its own limits, and to redraw the boundaries of the possible. The latest, thrilling chapter of this millennial journey is called Artificial Intelligence: a technological marvel already capable of offering us unimaginable assistance, far exceeding our own requests and expectations.
In front of this historic turning point, Pope Leo — invoking universal responsibility — has once again called for an “unarmed” modernity, an innovation that is a pure instrument of peace and social progress.
It is a very high call. But there is a “but” as big as the history of mankind: this message risks crashing against the wall of utopia.
So far, simply put, it has never been like this. Technology has never been disarmed. Since its dawn — from the discovery of language, from the control of fire, from the invention of the first rudimentary tools that have led us to civilization — every achievement has carried with it the seed of its opposite. Technique evolves, but human nature remains dual.
Let’s take cars: they take us to work or on vacation with an unimaginable comfort, without making us sweat. Yet, the math of the road is ruthless: the more cars there are and the faster they go, the higher the toll of blood from accidents.
We look at the Internet and the digital world: they have made a vast amount of information universal and accessible to everyone, a mass that could not be contained in any drawer or shelf on Earth. They have erased distances, allowing us to be connected in an instant from one side of the globe to the other. But even the Internet was not born or remained unarmed. With the web, people are spied on, privacy is intruded upon, colossal scams are crafted, and criminal actions are coordinated on a global scale.
Artificial Intelligence will be no exception. It cannot be, because the danger is inherent in the very nature of the technology. Tools capable of generating such immense power will always attract those who want to use that power to dominate, manipulate, or destroy. AI will never be disarmed, because neither is the person who programs and guides it.
In the face of this scenario, the only path left is to defend ourselves. A titanic and terribly lonely challenge, because in the race for digital gold, no one — among tech giants and superpowers — is truly willing to help us or hold back.
Asking to disarm the intelligence of machines is, after all, like asking to disarm humanity itself. And humanity, as we know, will not be easily disarmed.
