AI News Monitor

The head of the Catholic Church hopes world leaders will pay closer attention to AI and deepfake images. Says it’s as an area of “critical concern”.

Pope Francis has reminded global leaders of their responsibility to tackle ethical issues in the use of AI technology, including the creation of deepfake images.

In his speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, the pope warned that AI technology has led to a “growing crisis of truth in the public forum.”

Efforts to keep AI usage ordered, regulated and humane must be recognized as “more valuable than advances in the technical field,” read the message.

This has come as a result of the pope becoming a frequent target of AI deepfake images.

In March 2023, a deepfake image of the pope wearing a Balenciaga puffer jacket was circulated on the Internet. The image caused deep concern because it managed to fool a lot of people before it was discovered to be fake.

He has also been shown draped in a rainbow flag and appearing to promote the LGBTQ movement. It led to a barrage of insults from people opposed to the movement.

But more recently in December 2024, an image of the pope intimately hugging the pop star, Madonna, went viral on social media. The image was originally posted on Instagram.

Deepfake image of Pope Francis hugging Madonna. Image by Madonnafever on Instagram

There have been similar fake but highly realistic images of popular figures, including Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Tom Cruise. Midjourney, OpenAI’s Dall-E 2, and Dream Studio are some of many software options that are readily available to people who want to create deepfake images.

If unchecked, it could call into question the very nature of truth itself, which Pope Francis has referred to as a “crisis of truth.”

Big tech experts have raised hopes that they can improve AI safety by developing technology to recognize deepfake images and videos. Eric Horvitz, Chief Scientific Officer at Microsoft, is just one of many tech leaders who have been working to create a deepfake detector. He believes that if the technology is not developed, it may soon become impossible to tell the difference between what is real or not.

Pope Francis’ message comes just a few days after the new Trump administration rescinded the executive order made by the Biden administration to regulate AI safety. The action means that the US government is making a U-turn and will no longer push for legislation on AI. Experts say that any action on AI safety may have to fall to state and local governments. In the pope’s speech, he acknowledged the advancements of AI and how it can help increase human capacity. But he also noted that it must embrace more justice and humanity in social relations. It is a call for tech leaders to take a much closer look at AI safety.