BARI, Italy (NewsNation) — President Joe Biden will meet privately with Pope Francis on Friday on the sidelines of the Group of Seven summit in southern Italy.
This will be their second face-to-face meeting. It follows a jury’s recent guilty verdict against Biden’s son, Hunter, on gun charges related to his drug addiction, and Biden’s support for the Supreme Court’s decision to preserve access to the abortion pill mifepristone.
Francis, attending G7 discussions as the first pontiff to do so, is expected to call for peace in Ukraine and Gaza and address the dangers of artificial intelligence.
What is Pope Francis’ message to the G7?
Pope Francis intends to use the occasion to join the chorus of countries and global bodies pushing for stronger guardrails on AI following the boom in generative artificial intelligence kickstarted by OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot.
It is not the first time that Francis has spoken out about AI and the risks it poses.
A deepfake image of the pope wearing a white puffer jacket went viral last year, prompting conversation about misinformation being spread using AI technology. Francis has been committed to promoting transparency and accountability during the development of AI, according to NPR.
While he cautions about the misuse of AI, Francis reiterates that AI can be developed and used for the good of humanity. He is expected to provide examples as to how AI can be used to help the poor and the environment, NPR said.
His remarks come hours after he met with dozens of comedians at the Vatican on Friday morning, including Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock and Whoopi Goldberg, in a so-called “comic conclave” focused on how the church can engage with pop culture.
It’s unclear if Biden’s recent remarks on birth control will come up during the meeting.
Will Beijing be a topic of discussion?
China talks are at the top of Friday’s agenda alongside Francis’ history-making remarks, with a major focus on China’s manufacturing capabilities and its support for Russia.
Chinese imports are also likely to be discussed, as the U.S. and European Union have differing views on how to address China flooding global markets with cheap goods.
NewsNation digital producer Devan Markham and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
