Watching the Watchers: Pope Francis Warned Us of the “Rise of a Surveillance Society”

​With the passing of Pope Francis, it seems appropriate to reflect on his statements regarding surveillance, privacy, and human rights. In his 2024 World Day of Peace message, the pontiff declared:

• “Artificial intelligence, then, ought to be understood as a galaxy of different realities. We cannot presume a priori that its development will make a beneficial contribution to the future of humanity and to peace among peoples.”

 

• “Privacy, data ownership and intellectual property are other areas where these technologies engender grave risks. To which we can add other negative consequences of the misuse of these technologies, such as discrimination, interference in elections, the rise of a surveillance society, digital exclusion and the exacerbation of an individualism increasingly disconnected from society. All these factors risk fueling conflicts and hindering peace.”

 

• “Reliance on automatic processes that categorize individuals, for instance, by the pervasive use of surveillance or the adoption of social credit systems, could likewise have profound repercussions on the social fabric by establishing a ranking among citizens.”

 
The whole essay is worthy of our attention. It contains frank criticisms of the breakneck development of AI, as well as an important acknowledgement of China’s insidious “social credit” system, whereby its citizens are monitored and their behaviors graded.
 
Pope Francis himself had sufficient reason to be wary of surveillance states. Just a few weeks ago, the Vatican revealed that several of the pontiff’s senior aides discovered that foreign spy agencies had infected their smartphones with Pegasus spyware.

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