[1] The Rome Call for AI Ethics
[2] Hiroshima Addendum
[3] Hiroshima Appeal
[3] Hiroshima Appeal
AI Ethics for Peace
Hiroshima Appeal
We gathered in Hiroshima. It is a place that was turned into ruins by a
single atomic bomb, and where a great many innocent people were killed.
We are religious leaders from diverse backgrounds who came together from
around the world, and along with Diet members and representatives from
the United Nations, the academic community, the business world and civil
society, we are calling for approaches to the utilization of AI, a leading-edge
technology, to be developed and managed on an ethically and morally responsible
basis.
79 years ago in Hiroshima, a massive tragedy struck humankind as a result
of war and the use of what at that time was a leading-edge technology for
military purposes. Through the individual experiences of atomic bomb survivors
and the comprehensive peace research expertise that Hiroshima has accumulated,
we deepened our learning with regard to how leading-edge technologies can
inflict a massive impact on humankind. And the true meaning of the “Spirit
of Hiroshima,” which longs for eternal peace and the elimination of nuclear
weapons and is expressed on the Cenotaph for the Atomic Bomb Victims as
“Let all the souls here rest in peace for we shall not repeat the evil,”
was etched deeply in our hearts.
Today, the international community faces many serious challenges such as
environmental destruction, economic disparity, various forms of discrimination,
and human rights violations, which are deeply related to the confrontations
and divisions caused by wars and conflicts. There are said to be 56 conflicts
occurring worldwide at present, the largest number since World War II,
and additionally, 90 or more countries are involved in cross-border conflicts.
These conflicts are generating an unimaginable appalling number of victims.
Furthermore, this state of serious standoffs and division is increasing
the risk of nuclear war. We gathered in Hiroshima to express our strong
concern about these issues of war and weapons.
We must note that much of modern warfare is facilitated by AI technology.
It is said that attacks by Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems such as air
and marine drones with AI-enhanced autonomy are taking place in various
battlefields worldwide. These weapons enable attacks to occur without the
intervention of human judgment, and are accordingly made without satisfactory
ethical moral criteria. And also, where nuclear weapons are concerned,
there is a real danger that the use of nuclear weapons will be left up
to the judgment of AI, without human involvement. We cannot help but harbor
grave concerns about the current circumstances and the situation we are
being faced with. The international community, beginning with the countries
concerned and the United Nations, should take the steps necessary to address
this dangerous state of affairs as quickly as possible.
Today, a signing ceremony for the Rome Call for AI Ethics was held in Asia
for the first time. This call is an appeal for the betterment of humankind
to be placed at the center of the development and management of the leading-edge
technology that is AI, and for not a single person to suffer discrimination
along with the preservation of the planet, in order to preserve human dignity
and ensure the sustainability of the human race and the Earth itself.
Our commitment to this is something that is underlined by our religious
faiths. That is to say, it is grounded in the faith teaching that is shared
by many religions and which has been passed down through history,
including religions that enjoy long traditions in Asia, and is often referred
to as the Golden Rule – namely,
what you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
On the basis of this religious faith, all of us who came together for AI
Ethics for Peace issue a strong appeal to the wider international community
from Hiroshima. Here, we call for the pursuit of peaceful means of resolving
differences so that there will be immediate cessation of all armed conflicts.
We call for an end to the use of all means of mass destruction and especially
nuclear weapons, and for their total abolition. And we call for a commitment
from the world to ensure that AI is used only for the good of humanity
and to avoid its use to harm or destroy life.
Hiroshima, 10th of July 2024