John Lavenburg, Crux; Notre Dame to explore faith-based ethical uses of AI
"About five months after Pope Francis spoke of the responsibility political leaders have to ensure that artificial intelligence is used ethically, the University of Notre Dame has announced that it will develop faith-based frameworks for ethical uses of the technology.
Notre Dame, one of the preeminent Catholic universities in the United States located in South Bend, Indiana, announced on Oct. 10 that it has been awarded a $539,000 grant from Lilly Endowment Inc. to develop the frameworks – a process that will begin with a one year planning project.
The development of the frameworks will be led by the Notre Dame Institute for Ethics and the Common Good. Meghan Sullivan, the institute’s director, said that “this is a pivotal moment for technology ethics.”
“[Artificial General Intelligence] is developing quickly and has the potential to change our economies, our systems of education and the fabric of our social lives,” Sullivan, who is also the university’s Wilsey Family College Professor of Philosophy, said in a statement. “We believe that the wisdom of faith traditions can make a significant contribution to the development of ethical frameworks for AGI.”
According to an announcement from the university, the one-year planning project to begin the process of developing the frameworks will engage and build a network of leaders in higher education and technology, as well as those of different faiths to broach the topic of ethical uses of AI, and eventually create the faith-based ethical frameworks.
“This project will encourage broader dialogue about the role that concepts such as dignity, embodiment, love, transcendence and being created in the image of God should play in how we understand and use this technology,” Sullivan said. “These concepts – as the bedrock of many faith-based traditions – are vital for how we advance the common good in the era of AGI.”
The project will culminate in September 2025 with a conference that will focus on the most pressing faith-based issues relating to the proliferation of AGI and provide training and networking opportunities for leaders who attend, according to the university."
