The following article is a record of Pope Francis’ answers to the questions sent to him by Austen Ivereigh of Commonweal. It is an important article because it shows us an example of a human being grappling with his mortality in the face of COVID-19, and the continuous inner work one must do in order to thrive during these times.
Pope Francis shows us the many inconsistencies that has built our societies, and how, in the face of disease, we are called to identify those which are essential to our being.
Implications for AI
The novel coronavirus has put our lives and our societies on hold. It is a time for reflection, and re-assessment – do we continue on the same path of self destruction? Or are we creating new societies and new institutions based on creativity and the essential?
Pope Francis in this “interview” calls out the functional hypocrisy in our societies and enjoins us to live With integrity. For him, “either we are coherent with our beliefs or we lose everything”.
Do we believe that humanity is merely a machine? Or are we a species with a purpose? If we believe in the latter, then how are we going to transform our societies to reflect this belief? How do we begin change within ourselves that will ripple out into the world?
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