Pope's AI adviser warns Australia's copyright changes risk 'new form of colonialism'

Father Paolo Benanti, AI adviser to Pope Leo, cautioned Australia against altering copyright laws to permit AI training on copyrighted material without permission. He expressed concern that such a move could risk creating a new form of colonialism, where profits are extracted from Australia and sent abroad. He argued that Australia's writing could become another resource exploited by foreign tech companies, resulting in a loss of revenue and tax revenue for the country.

Benanti questioned whether this approach would be fair and beneficial to Australia, emphasizing the need for consideration before voting on such a change. The Australian government has been quietly consulting on the possibility of allowing AI companies to train on copyrighted content, despite Attorney-General Michelle Rowland stating that there are no plans to weaken copyright protections.

Benanti highlighted Australia's efforts in regulating social media and AI, praising the country as being at the forefront of these issues. He advocated for other countries to emulate Australia's approach to controlling tech companies through policies like the teen social media ban.