Proposals for a global governance of smart technologies at the SMOM Ambassadors Conference between ethics and humanitarian law

THEartificial intelligence, in the view shared by a growing part of the academic and institutional world, is not just a technology, but a structural transformation of the way societies organize work, security, international relations and the protection of the most vulnerable.

On the second day of the Ambassadors' Conference of the Sovereign Military Hospitaller Order of St. John of Jerusalem, of Rhodes and of Malta, hosted in the setting of Master's Villa In Rome, this perspective was at the center of a debate that intertwined diplomacy, law, and visions of global governance. The most anticipated contribution came from the theologian and technologist Father Paolo Benanti, consultant to Italian Government and a member of the United Nations Commission on AI, which called for the urgent need to develop supranational rules to govern a process that is now irreversible.

He stressed that AI is not just a expansion of mechanical capabilities of machines, but a paradigm shift in which automation affects cognitive functions previously considered the exclusive prerogative of humans. A phenomenon that, in his opinion, will inevitably lead to profound impacts on work, especially in intermediate professional band.

“The historical novelty”,

he remembered,

"It's that for the first time, automation is replacing the middle class in its ordinary tasks. Without adequate governance, this will generate new and strong social asymmetries."

To avoid a fragmentation scenario, the teacher of the Pontifical Gregorian University he evoked a model inspired by international treaties on arms control, but adapted to the immaterial nature of software systems, which

“they cannot be inspected like missile silos.”

Towards a multilateral system for ethics and humanitarian law

The discussion framework was not limited to technical aspects. The conference dedicated an entire session to the role of humanitarian law and diplomacy, analyzing the difficulties of applying international norms in increasingly complex contexts.

The Cardinal's intervention Gianfranco Ravasi, president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Culture since 2022, has brought the category of the third party, a value historically shared by Santa Thirst and the Order of Malta. According to the Lombard prelate,

“In contemporary crises, we need a voice capable of recalling principles and values ​​that the actors involved often forget.”

The cardinal also recalled the weight of the

“ethics of contact”,

remembering that humanitarian assistance requires not only procedures, but also presence and closeness. The third dimension evoked, that ofutopia, invites us not to give up on the drive towards the structural improvement of the international system.

“A world that settles for minimal results,”

he observed,

“progressively loses the ability to imagine the new.”

Current and complex issues in respecting international law

Per Gianfranco Ravasi, religions can also contribute with a perspective oriented towards the so-called “beyond”, capable of keeping collective aspirations alive in a context marked by conflicts and inequalities.

The former intervened to interpret the most geopolitical dynamics President of the Council of Ministers Italian Julian Amato, who described a

“dramatic asymmetry”

between the growing regulatory complexity and the fragility of its effective application. In his opinion, the United Nations Charter is too often evaded today, with the risk of undermining the credibility of the multilateral instruments.

“When States give up using the mechanisms provided by the UN”,

he has declared,

“they also miss the opportunity to generate the pressure of international public opinion, which is essential for resolving conflicts.”

Migration, climate, and action on the ground: UN agencies on the front lines

While the reflections of Benanti, Ravasi, and Amato outlined the strategic contours, the interventions of the directors of two major UN agencies provided firsthand accounts from the field.

Amy Pope, at the helm ofInternational Organization for Migration, he recalled that migrations cannot be stopped, but only

“managed through cooperative tools that put human dignity at the center.”

He cited the example of Afghan refugees expelled from Pakistan,

“one of the most underestimated crises of the last year”,

stressing that the ordering of flows requires

“shared responsibilities, not just stricter boundaries.”

Cindy McCain, Director of the World Food Program, illustrated the work of the institution in over 80 countries, with particular attention to contexts in which conflict and climate change intertwine, generating food insecurity.

He expressed gratitude to the Order of Malta for its support in managing Ukrainian refugees and called for collaboration between governments and private actors:

“In the face of increasingly extreme climate events,”

he has declared,

“lasting solutions must be built together, going beyond the logic of emergency.”

Both leaders stressed that thetechnological innovation (from predictive systems on food insecurity to algorithms for monitoring migratory flows) requires a responsible use, capable of avoiding bias and discrimination against most vulnerable populationsThe main challenge, they highlighted, is

“ensure that innovation does not amplify inequalities, but strengthens the capacity of institutions to protect fundamental rights.”

Building a global AI architecture at the service of humanity

The Conference of Ambassadors of the SMOM has shown how the construction of AI governance is now not only a technological but also a political, humanitarian and cultural priority. The call for multilateral cooperation, diplomatic third party status, the need for more effective international law and the centrality of human dignity compose a vision in which technology and values ​​are not opposed, but rather strengthen each other.

In this scenario, figures such as Benanti, Ravasi, Pope and McCain point the way towards a regulatory ecosystem that allows AI to support complex missions such as conflict prevention, migration management, theclimate adaptation and the fight against poverty.

The picture that emerges is clear: the future of innovation It will depend on the ability to build resilient institutions, capable of mediating between divergent interests and making transparent the algorithms that increasingly influence daily life.

In an age where software and intelligent systems are beyond the reach of physical boundariesThe challenge is not only technical but profoundly political. And it is in this space that the Order of Malta, the Holy See, and UN agencies are trying to define a new governance model, in which responsibility, equity e protection of the most vulnerable remain at the center of global innovation.

The Second Conference of Ambassadors of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta

Here are three insights that might interest you:

Benedict and the primacy of reasonableness over the dogmas of reason
Artificial Intelligence and the Global Ethics of Modern Times
ACISMOM in Italy: more healthcare assistance, research, and local development