Patriarch Kirill has called on Russian MPs to curb the capabilities of artificial intelligence (AI), describing it as more destructive than nuclear energy. Nevertheless, he believes Russia needs its own sovereign AI system.
The patriarch also warned MPs that at the end of days, humankind will see the Antichrist, who will gain power with public support.
«We have no clue what role AI will play in this apocalyptic picture. We shouldn’t reject scientific achievements or AI capabilities, but we must keep them under strict public and government control in Russia,» Kirill emphasized.
He urged MPs to restrict the use of deepfake technologies and develop a sovereign AI system, as most Western AI technologies serve as instruments of political manipulation, Vedomosti.ru reported.
In turn, Speaker of Parliament Vyacheslav Volodin said that the State Duma will take the Russian Church’s stance into account and emphasized that MPs will recall this conversation with the patriarch when reviewing related draft laws.
On Orthodox Christmas, Patriarch Kirill called on his followers to pray for the salvation of prisoners of war, the sick and those in need. He also highlighted that “the whole world is ganging up against the Orthodox faith.”
