GENEVA – The World Jewish Congress participated on Friday in an interfaith dialogue on the role of artificial intelligence in shaping coordinated responses to global peace and security challenges. Organized by the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR) in partnership with the Permanent Mission of the Holy See in Geneva, the event brought together faith leaders to explore how religion plays an integral role in developing an AI code of ethics.
In his opening remarks, Robin Geiss, UNIDIR Director, noted that faith traditions have long shaped the ethical foundations of multilateral norms, from the Geneva Conventions to the Rome Call for AI Ethics, and stressed their unique value in lifting the debate beyond state-centered perspectives. H.E. Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, Apostolic Nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See, reaffirmed the Holy See's commitment to a human-centered approach to AI and briefly presented Pope Leo’s recently released encyclical “On Safeguarding the Human Person in the time of Artificial Intelligence.”
Leon Saltiel, director of diplomacy and representative at the UN of the World Jewish Congress in Geneva, participated in a panel bringing together voices from across faith traditions, each addressing the intersection of AI, security and ethics through their own lens. Saltiel drew on the Talmudic tradition of questioning and debate as the path toward truth, noting that "In the Jewish tradition, we arrive at truth through questioning and debate. AI chatbots do the opposite: they hand you a single answer. If you push back, they tend to agree with you, limiting opportunities for genuine discussion and learning."
- Swami Vedanishthananda, Spiritual Head of the Centre Védantique Genève, opened the discussion by stressing that ethical accountability across the chain of AI decisions cannot be outsourced, and that power gains legitimacy only when guided by ethical responsibility.
- Sakyadeeta Nishanie, Buddhist Nun and Meditation Teacher, Buddhist Community Montenegro, emphasized that lasting security begins with peace within.
- Prof. Karamjeet Singh, Vice Chancellor of Guru Nanak Dev University, outlined the need for AI to remain under accountable human control, with high-risk systems evaluated for their impact on civilian safety and governance made globally inclusive.
- Father Ghislain-Marie Grange, o.p., Professor of Theology and Philosophy at the Institut Saint-Thomas d'Aquin, argued that invoking ethics is not enough: concrete principles and norms are needed, including the ability to identify who is responsible for AI-driven decisions and to preserve sufficient time for human moral judgment.
- Closing the round, Mohamed Levrak, president of the Geneva Interreligious Platform, underlined from the Islamic tradition that human dignity is inherent and that a person can never be reduced to a target or a variable.
The discussion emphasized the need for stronger safeguards and regulation in the use of AI as a tool to shape narratives and influence security decisions, reaffirming the WJC’s commitment to advancing interfaith cooperation as an essential means of ensuring that AI in security remains anchored in international law.
