On November 14 and 15, the Centre for Digital Culture (CDC), in collaboration with LUMSA University, organized the first face-to-face meeting of the European research group on AI. This gathering brought 11 scholars from various prestigious universities in the humanities, including France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Scotland, Belgium and Malta.

The primary objective of the meeting was to review and progress in the research, compilation and structuring phase of the content for the first publication of the group titled the Sign of the Times (Humanae Salutis), and how to get the most of these challenging times to reevaluate human nature. The publication will delve into the comparison between human uniqueness and AI rationality, emphasizing the distinctive relational, ethical, emotional, existential, and spiritual dimensions of human intelligence.

During the working days, diverse opinions were shared on the impact of AI on the understanding of the person and their value in the world. Participants emphasized that while AI excels at data processing, it lacks wisdom, moral discernment, and genuine creativity, which fundamentally distinguishes it from human experience. From a theological perspective, it cautions against attributing personal traits to machines. Finally, appealing to the principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church, participants urged to prioritize human dignity, ensuring that AI serves as a tool for justice, cooperation and the common good.

This meeting complements other research works of the center in various geographies and reinforces the mission of the CDC to analyze the ethical implications of AI from diverse cultural perspectives.