Addressing the Pope’s encyclical on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Digital Minister Karsten Wildberger (CDU) is calling for Germany and Europe to achieve greater technological independence. Wildberger stated in an interview with the “Rheinische Post” that if technology is to truly serve humanity, it must be designed by Europe itself. He insisted that the focus should not merely be on regulation, but on actively developing, shaping, and taking responsibility for these technologies. According to the Digital Minister, ethical AI originating from Germany and Europe is therefore a prerequisite for democratic self-determination in the digital age.
Wildberger noted that the Pope’s warning that AI cannot be considered morally neutral contained a “crucial insight”. He sounded a warning that AI trained using foreign data, foreign values, and based on external business models risks creating dependency, systems that may not reflect what Europe deems correct or proper.
In his first encyclical, Pope Leo described AI as a “valuable aid” though he cautioned that it must be “disarmed” when considering various risks, such as those related to autonomous weapons or environmental consequences.
