Zuckerberg [pictured above] wrote in a Facebook post that they gave the pope a model of Aquila, a solar-powered drone designed to beam internet access to remote areas.
“We told him how much we admire his message of mercy and tenderness, and how he’s found new ways to communicate with people of every faith around the world,” wrote Zuckerberg, who was dressed in a suit instead of his signature gray T-shirt. “We also discussed the importance of connecting people, especially in parts of the world without internet access.”
The couple also visited Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi and discussed what the company has done in the wake of the 6.2 magnitude earthquake that struck central Italy last week and how tech jobs are fueling the country’s economy.
Zuckerberg later held a town hall Q&A where he answered questions about Facebook’s safety efforts, augmented reality, his daughter and an artificial intelligence system he’s building for his home.
The 32-year-old said in January that he wanted to build something similar to the robot butler J.A.R.V.I.S. in “Iron Man 3” as part of a challenge for the new year. Zuckerberg said he hopes to have a demo next month, and so far it can control the lights, gates and temperature in his house.
“(That’s) much to the chagrin of my wife, who now cannot control the temperature because it is programmed to only listen to my voice,” he quipped.
Zuckerberg addressed Italy’s earthquake early in the Q&A, outlining how the company has helped in the aftermath of a natural disaster that killed more than 290 people.
He noted that half the people in the region used a Facebook tool called Safety Check to let their loved ones know they were OK; the company has given 500,000 euros in ad credits for the Red Cross in Italy; and people are using the site to support disaster relief.
“The real pain and the real rebuilding happens over a long period of time,” he said.
© 2016 San Jose Mercury News
syndicated under contract with NewsEdge. -.
