Father Benanti in Sydney for the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis

(ANSA) - ROMA, 12 OTT - The challenges posed by artificial intelligence and the need to establish rules ensuring its use under human control were the focus of an informal discussion in which the Franciscan philosopher and theologian Father Paolo Benanti, accompanied by Ambassador to Canberra Nicola Lener and Consul General in Sydney Gianluca Rubagotti, held at the Sydney residence of Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Father Benanti, who was in Australia at the invitation of the Italian Embassy to participate in a series of roundtable discussions on artificial intelligence and ethics—organized as part of the celebrations marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis— shared with the Prime Minister his reflections on the need to preserve the centrality of the human person and their freedom of choice as guiding principles for governing the development of AI, in line with the thinking expressed in Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical “Magnifica Humanitas.” The Prime Minister shared this vision, emphasizing Australia’s commitment—as the first country in the world to have introduced a ban on social media access for minors under 16—to ensuring that artificial intelligence is used for the benefit of humanity and not to its detriment. Albanese also referred to the recent remarks he made on these issues during the United Nations General Assembly in New York. During the visit, Father Benanti also participated in a roundtable discussion at the National Press Club in Canberra alongside Deputy Minister for Productivity and Competitiveness Andrew Leigh, and met with Deputy Minister for Science, Technology, and the Digital Economy Andrew Charlton in Sydney.
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