The urgency of an algorethics

The following contribution was presented during the event, “Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: the Engagement of Abrahamic Religions in the Rome Call.” The event was sponsored by the Vatican RenAIssance Foundation, the Abu Dhabi (UAE) Forum for Peace and the Commission for Interreligious Dialogue of the Chief Rabbinate of Israel. The Rome Call for AI Ethics (www.romecall.org), finalized in February 2020 and also signed at the time by some of the world’s largest tech companies (Microsoft and IBM), along with the FAO and representatives of the Italian government, commits signatories to follow what its principles call for in terms of transparency, inclusion, accountability, impartiality, reliability, security and privacy. Religions have played and will continue to play a crucial role in shaping a world in which human beings are at the center of the concept of development. For this reason, an ethical development of artificial intelligence must be approached from an interfaith perspective. The potential of an interfaith event lies in the impact this message communicates. In the face of the radical transformations that digital and intelligent technologies are producing in society, the three Abrahamic religions together provide guidance for humanity’s search for meaning in this new era.