Microsoft and Vatican AI Collaboration Raises Concerns Over Corporate Influence

Key Takeaways

• In 2020, Microsoft and the Vatican forged the “Rome Call for AI Ethics.”
• Recently, Microsoft helped create a digital twin of the Vatican’s St. Peter’s Basilica.
• The partnership is part of Microsoft’s global efforts to shape the conversation on AI.

In recent years, the Catholic Church has both embraced AI innovation and warned about the technology’s potential dangers.

The Vatican’s two-pronged approach to AI has seen it partner with firms like Microsoft. However, this relationship with one of the world’s largest technology providers could complicate the Church’s stance.

A History of Partnership

Regarding AI, Microsoft’s relationship with the Vatican can be traced back to early 2020.

Alongside IBM, the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization, and the Italian Ministry of Innovation, Microsoft signed the “Rome Call for AI Ethics .”

An early example of efforts to promote responsible AI use and development, the document foreshadowed later developments in AI governance, which have seen companies establish various codes, principles, and guidelines for AI safety.

Microsoft and Iconem’s AI-Generated St. Peter’s Basilica

In the latest example of Microsoft’s AI work with the Vatican, the company partnered with Iconem  to create a 3D digital twin of St. Peter’s Basilica.

A French startup specializing in creating 3D digital copies of cultural heritage sites, Iconem uses drones, cameras, and lasers to photograph and scan the World Heritage site. Microsoft then helped process the photogrammetry data to generate the virtual Basilica.

Public Relations Strategy?

Organized by Microsoft’s AI For Good Lab, the latest partnership with the Vatican reflects the firm’s AI public relations strategy.

Initiatives like the Rome Call for AI Ethics and Microsoft’s increasingly active role in the global conversation around AI regulation frame the company as an advocate of responsible AI. But Microsoft’s business interests in the space cast doubts over its sincerity.

Perhaps the foremost AI lobbying initiative to date is the Frontier Model Forum, which counts Anthropic, Google, Microsoft, and OpenAI as members.

On the surface, the platform emphasizes safety and responsible development. However, with Meta and IBM organizing their own rival alliance to promote open standards and transparency, the Frontier Model Forum could have an ulterior motive to protect Big Tech intellectual property.

From a skeptical viewpoint, some might argue that righteous corporate endeavors always benefit their sponsors.

Whether Microsoft aims to shape the narrative on AI, influence policy, or simply gain some good publicity, it will be interesting to see whether its efforts genuinely lead to responsible AI practices or primarily serve its competitive interests.

About the Author

James Morales

Although his background is in crypto and FinTech news, these days, James likes to roam across CCN’s editorial breadth, focusing mostly on digital technology. Having always been fascinated by the latest innovations, he uses his platform as a journalist to explore how new technologies work, why they matter and how they might shape our future.

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