The Vatican on Tuesday urged world governments to closely monitor the development of artificial intelligence (AI), warning that the technology contains a "shadow of evil" because of its ability to spread disinformation. call Catholic News Agency (CNA).

"Fake media content generated by artificial intelligence can gradually undermine the foundations of society," says a new document on the ethics of artificial intelligence written by two Vatican departments and approved by Pope Francis.

The document points out that this area requires careful regulation because disinformation, especially through media controlled or influenced by artificial intelligence, can unintentionally spread and fuel political polarization and social unrest.

Pope Francis, who has led the 1,4 billion-member Catholic Church since 2013, has focused in recent years on the ethical issues surrounding artificial intelligence, Reuters reports. He delivered a message on the technology to the World Economic Forum in Davos last week, warning political and business leaders that artificial intelligence raised “critical concerns” for the future of humanity. The pope also spoke about the technology at the G7 summit in Italy in June 2024, saying people should not let “algorithms decide their fate.”