President of Taiwan teams up with Pope Francis in AI regulation.

Taiwan’s President Tsai Ing-wen has joined Pope Francis in calling for greater regulation of artificial intelligence (AI), highlighting the ethical risks and challenges associated with AI development. In a letter sent to the Pope, Tsai expressed Taiwan’s commitment to promoting peace and improving the quality of life for all humanity. She also emphasized Taiwan’s position as a world leader in the semiconductor industry and its eagerness to be a reliable and secure partner in the international community. Taiwan’s involvement in AI development plays a critical role in maintaining national security amid threats of military intervention and economic sanctions from Beijing. Tsai underscored the ethical considerations of AI development, including invasion of privacy, data manipulation, illegal surveillance, and disinformation campaigns, calling for good technological governance and joint efforts toward creating a peaceful future.

President Tsai’s letter was in response to the Pope’s message marking the 57th World Day of Peace, titled “Artificial Intelligence and Peace.” In this message, Pope Francis called on policymakers and international stakeholders to direct AI development toward the pursuit of peace and the common good. The Pope highlighted the risks of AI usage in areas such as automated warfare, job hiring processes, mortgage applications, and criminal recidivism, emphasizing the potential for systemic errors and bias. He stressed that AI is a supplemental technology that cannot replace human moral judgment and ethical decision-making.

The ethical regulation and orientation of AI for the common good has been a recurring theme in Pope Francis’ pontificate. He urged the Pontifical Academy for Life to study emerging technologies to ensure their reconciliation with responsibility, values, and conscience. Taiwan sees the Holy See as a vital diplomatic partner, as it is the only sovereign European entity that maintains diplomatic relations with the island. Formal diplomatic relations between Taiwan and the Holy See were established in 1942, and the Holy See does not maintain official relations with the People’s Republic of China.

Overall, President Tsai’s letter to Pope Francis reflects Taiwan’s commitment to promoting peace and its recognition of the ethical risks and challenges associated with AI development. The call for greater regulation and ethical governance of AI aligns with the Pope’s message on the 57th World Day of Peace, emphasizing the importance of directing AI development toward the common good and maintaining the unique capacity for human moral judgment and ethical decision-making.