INDIANAPOLIS — Artificial intelligence carries “tremendous power” and demands equally great responsibility from everyone, not just developers and lawmakers, Philip Thompson, the Semler Chair of Ethics at Marian University, told students and faculty during a Nov. 5 campus talk on AI.
“That’s not just the people who make artificial intelligence,” Thompson said. “That’s not just legislators. That’s everybody.”
Thompson — a former trial lawyer who now teaches ethics — centered his lecture on Roman Catholic perspectives in emerging AI debates. He highlighted concerns raised by Church leaders, including the potential development of hostile AI systems.
“How many things have we created that can eliminate humanity?” Thompson said. “Of course, the other one was atomic weapons, right? I hope that sobers you.”
While outlining the risks, Thompson also acknowledged several benefits of AI, especially in health care. He noted AI’s potential to diagnose diseases earlier than human doctors, assist in creating personalized treatment plans, manage patient data, and support elder care through companion robots.
“My feelings about these robots are mixed,” Thompson
said. “Surely as Catholics, as people of goodwill, we really want to have human beings visiting these people.”
Thompson presented six principles for the ethical development and use of AI: transparency, inclusion, responsibility, impartiality, reliability, and security and privacy. The principles originate from a Vatican document calling for global cooperation on AI ethics.
He also referenced “Antiqua et Nova,” another Vatican text outlining key limitations of AI — particularly its inability to replicate human nature or make true moral judgments. Some audience members questioned this view.
“One of the big differences in the new wave of AI compared to what is called old-fashioned AI is that the new AI research really is based on a deeper understanding of how the human brain works,” said Joseph Gamache, chair of Marian’s Department of Philosophy.
Monday’s talk marked the launch of a new university series on Catholicism and emerging technologies. Upcoming events are expected to cover robotics, genetic engineering and more.
