Originally published at National Catholic Register
The 13-page decree forbids AI applications that create social inequalities, violate human dignity, or use techniques that cause physical or psychological harm to people; and use of AI that conflicts with the mission of the pope, the integrity of the Catholic Church, or the Vatican’s institutional activities is prohibited.
The Vatican City State’s first decree regulating the use of artificial intelligence quietly came into effect this month prohibiting discriminatory uses of AI and establishing a special commission to oversee “experimentation” with the new technology at the Vatican.
The decree titled “Guidelines on Artificial Intelligence” was enacted by the Pontifical Commission of Vatican City State and came into effect on Jan. 1 following a low-profile publication on the Vatican government’s website the day before Christmas Eve.
The new regulations set strict prohibitions on uses of AI within Vatican state institutions but do not apply to the entire Roman Curia.
Among the banned practices are employing AI systems that compromise Vatican City security, implementing AI systems that exclude persons with disabilities from accessing its features, and using AI to draw “anthropological inferences with discriminatory effects on individuals.”
The 13-page decree also forbids AI applications that create social inequalities, violate human dignity,
