According to the organizers and participants, the event was co-hosted by the Abu Dhabi Peace Forum in the United Arab Emirates, the Chief Rabbinical Committee for Interreligious Relations of Israel, the Pontifical Academy of Life, the Japan Committee of the World Conference of Religions for Peace (WCRP/RfP) and the Vatican’s Life Academy.

Among the speakers were Sheikh Abdullah bin Bayyah, Chairman of the Abu Dhabi Peace Forum and Chairman of the UAE Fatwa Council, Rabbi Eliezer Simha Weiss, a member of the Committee of Chief Rabbis of Israel and Japanese Prime Minister KISHIDA Fumio.

The proposal was announced by the Vatican in 2020 and an appeal was sent out to religious organizations around the world for approval.

Hiroshima was chosen because of its relationship with the atomic bomb, which was the most advanced technology of the time. Hiroshima became the first place on Earth to suffer an atomic attack when the United States dropped an atom bomb on the center of the city on August 6, 1945. It was selected as a signing site in the hope that rapidly developing AI technology will be used for peace.

Sixteen people from 11 religious institutions and two universities, including the World Federation of Buddhists, signed their names to the proposal in the shadow of Hiroshima’s iconic atomic bomb dome. The document calls for transparency, inclusivity, and fairness in the development of AI.

SUGIYA Yoshizumi, chairman of the WCRP Japan Committee, pointed out that AI technology and weapons are being combined to engage in inhumane military activities.

The signing ceremony was part of the two-day “AI Ethics for Peace” meeting. As well as religious leaders and experts from 13 countries, executives from large IT companies such as IBM, Cisco and Microsoft also took part.

Topics covered included “The Potential of Ethical AI and Its Real-World Applications,” “AI Governance” and “Interreligious Dialogue on AI Ethics: Perspectives from World Religions.”