德国总理弗里德里希·默茨在度假期间选择了教宗利奥关于人工智能的通谕《Magnifica humanitas》作为阅读材料[1]。这份文献强调对AI发展的严格伦理约束[1]。现年70岁的默茨于14个月前上任[1]，目前正处于复杂的政治环境中。默茨曾在4月的演讲中表示："AI已经在这里，已经被投入实际使用。现在由我们决定这场转变中会发生什么。"[1]
默茨面临的政治困难包括近期的内阁改组混乱。CDU议会领导人詹斯·施潘因宣布与丈夫通过美国代孕生育而辞职，此举与CDU反对代孕的立场相悖[1]，引发了德国自1960年代初以来最大规模的内阁改组[1]。此外，极右翼政党在即将于2024年9月举行的三个州选举中支持率可能创造纪录[1]。
Friedrich Merz, Germany's embattled chancellor, has selected Pope Leo's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas as his holiday reading material, a document centered on ethical constraints for artificial intelligence development.[1] The 70-year-old leader, who took office fourteen months ago, faces mounting political pressures as Germany navigates a period of economic stagnation spanning seven years.[1]
The chancellor's choice of reading matter comes amid significant upheaval within his administration. The head of the CDU parliamentary faction recently resigned after announcing plans to have a child through surrogacy via the United States, a practice that contradicts the party's stated opposition to surrogacy.[1] This departure has triggered the largest cabinet reshuffle in Germany since the early 1960s.[1] Additionally, Merz confronts rising support for far-right parties ahead of state elections scheduled for September 2024 across three regions, where polling suggests record support levels.[1]
Speaking in April, Merz acknowledged the urgency of artificial intelligence governance, stating: "AI is already here, already being put to practical use. Now it is up to us to determine what will happen in this transformation."[1] His selection of the papal encyclical, addressed to an estimated 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, signals an engagement with broader questions about technology's role in society during a demanding period of leadership.[1]