In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.
Peace be with you!
 

Good morning to all and welcome!

I extend my greetings to all of you who are taking part in this meeting on the dignity of children and adolescents in the age of artificial intelligence.  I am grateful for your presence and for your valuable contributions.

Artificial intelligence is transforming many aspects of our daily lives, including education, entertainment and the safety of minors.  Its use raises important ethical questions, especially concerning the protection of the dignity and wellbeing of minors.

Children and adolescents are particularly vulnerable to manipulation through AI algorithms that can influence their decisions and preferences. It is essential that parents and educators be aware of these dynamics, and that tools be developed to monitor and guide young people’s interactions with technology.

Governments and international organizations have a responsibility to design and implement policies that protect the dignity of minors in this era of AI. This includes updating existing data protection laws to address new challenges posed by emerging technologies, and promoting ethical standards for the development and the use of AI.

Yet safeguarding the dignity of minors cannot be reduced to policies alone; it also requires a digital education. As  my predecessor once remarked regarding a  safeguarding project promoted by three major Catholic associations in Italy, adults must rediscover their vocation as “artisans of education” and strive to be faithful to it. [1]

It is indeed important to draft and enforce ethical guidelines, but that is not enough.  What is needed are daily, ongoing educational efforts, carried out by adults who themselves are trained and supported by networks of collaboration.  This process involves understanding the risks that both the use of AI and premature, unlimited and unsupervised digital access may pose to the relationships and development of young people. Only by taking part in the discovery of such risks and the effects on their personal and social life, can minors be supported in approaching the digital world as a means of strengthening their ability to make responsible choices for themselves and for others.

This is, in itself, a vital exercise in safeguarding human originality and connectedness, which must always be guided by respect for human dignity as a fundamental value.  Only by taking an educational, ethical and responsible approach can we ensure that artificial intelligence serves as an ally, and not a threat, in the growth and development of children and adolescents.

Dear friends, I wish you a fruitful conference, one that helps to lay a solid foundation for our ongoing service to children, young people, and to the entire ecclesial and civil community. Upon you, upon your work, I invoke the Lord’s blessing.

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[1] Cf. Francis,  Message to the Participants in the Conference “Promoting Child Safeguarding in the Time of COVID-19 and Beyond,” 4 November 2021.