(ETH) – The Vatican along with the Pope has reportedly just joined forces with tech giants Microsoft and IBM on promoting the ethical development of artificial intelligence (AI) and call for regulation of intrusive technologies such as facial recognition.

The trio recently stated that AI should respect privacy, work reliably and without bias, consider human rights, and operate transparently.  According to Reuters, Pope Francis, who has raised concerns about the uncontrolled spread of AI technologies, gave his backing in a speech read on his behalf at a conference attended by Microsoft president Brad Smith (MSFT.O) and IBM (IBM.N) Executive Vice President John Kelly. The pope is ill and could not deliver the address himself.

Calling for the ethical development of algorithms, known as “algor-ethics”, Francis warned about the dangers of AI being used to extract data for commercial or political ends, often without the knowledge of individuals. “This asymmetry, by which a select few know everything about us while we know nothing about them, dulls critical thought and the conscious exercise of freedom,” he said in his message. READ MORE