VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo warned politicians on Saturday of the challenges posed by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), addressing its potential impact on younger people as a prime concern.
Speaking at an event attended by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and parliamentary delegations from 68 countries, Leo revisited a topic that he has raised on a number of occasions during the first few weeks of his papacy.
“In particular, it must not be forgotten that artificial intelligence functions as a tool for the good of human beings, not to diminish them or even to replace them,” Leo said at an event held as part of the Roman Catholic Jubilee or Holy Year.
AI proponents say it will speed up scientific and technological progress and help people to carry out routine tasks, granting them more time to pursue higher-value and creative work.
The US-born pontiff said attention was needed to protect “healthy, fair and sound lifestyles, especially for the good of younger generations.”
He noted that AI’s “static memory” was in no way comparable to the “creative, dynamic” power of human memory.
“Our personal life has greater value than any algorithm, and social relationships require spaces for development that far transcend the limited patterns that any soulless machine can pre-package,” he said.
Leo, who became pope in May, has spoken previously of the threat posed by AI to jobs and has called on journalists to use it responsibly.
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Pope Leo warns politicians of the challenges posed by AI
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Pope Leo warns politicians of the challenges posed by AI
14 injured in Japan after stabbing, liquid spray attack: emergency official
TOKYO: Fourteen people were injured in a stabbing attack in a factory in central Japan during which an unspecified liquid was also sprayed, an emergency services official said on Friday.
“Fourteen people are subject to transportation by emergency services,” Tomoharu Sugiyama, a firefighting department official in the city of Mishima, in Shizuoka region, told AFP.
He said a call was received at about 4.30 p.m. (0730 GMT) from a nearby rubber factory saying “five or six people were stabbed by someone” and that a “spray-like liquid” had also been used.
Japanese media, including public broadcaster NHK, reported that police had arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder.
The seriousness of the injuries was unknown, although NHK said all victims remained conscious.
Sugiyama said at least six of the 14 victims had been sent to hospital in a fleet of ambulances. The exact nature of the injuries was also unclear.
The factory in Mishima is run by Yokohama Rubber Co., whose business includes manufacturing tires for trucks and buses, according to its corporate website.
Violent crime is relatively rare in Japan, which has a low murder rate and some of the world’s toughest gun laws.
However, there are occasional stabbing attacks and even shootings, including the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.
A Japanese man was sentenced to death in October for a shooting and stabbing rampage that killed four people, including two police officers, in 2023.
A 43-year-old man was also charged with attempted murder in May over a knife attack at Tokyo’s Toda-mae metro station.
“Fourteen people are subject to transportation by emergency services,” Tomoharu Sugiyama, a firefighting department official in the city of Mishima, in Shizuoka region, told AFP.
He said a call was received at about 4.30 p.m. (0730 GMT) from a nearby rubber factory saying “five or six people were stabbed by someone” and that a “spray-like liquid” had also been used.
Japanese media, including public broadcaster NHK, reported that police had arrested a man on suspicion of attempted murder.
The seriousness of the injuries was unknown, although NHK said all victims remained conscious.
Sugiyama said at least six of the 14 victims had been sent to hospital in a fleet of ambulances. The exact nature of the injuries was also unclear.
The factory in Mishima is run by Yokohama Rubber Co., whose business includes manufacturing tires for trucks and buses, according to its corporate website.
Violent crime is relatively rare in Japan, which has a low murder rate and some of the world’s toughest gun laws.
However, there are occasional stabbing attacks and even shootings, including the assassination of former prime minister Shinzo Abe in 2022.
A Japanese man was sentenced to death in October for a shooting and stabbing rampage that killed four people, including two police officers, in 2023.
A 43-year-old man was also charged with attempted murder in May over a knife attack at Tokyo’s Toda-mae metro station.
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