Australia has considered the Pope's teachings on AI as the government attempts to navigate concerns that plague the technology.
The tech sector has spruiked the productivity gains offered by AI and the data centres that power it, but the Australian public and environment advocates are increasingly spotlighting its risks.
Even Pope Leo XIV has weighed in, questioning the impact AI has on humanity and insisting there is a need to ensure technology is not concentrated in the hands of the few.
Federal Innovation Minister Tim Ayres said he and the government were alert to the issues as he recommended Australians read the Pope's latest encyclical.
"His Holiness asks whether technological progress will diminish or amplify human dignity," he told the Australian Data Centres Power and Water Summit on Thursday.
