Pope warns of AI dangers, urges fair wages for migrants on Singapore visit

Francis meets section officials and dignitaries successful affluent city-state astatine the extremity of his Asia Pacific tour.

Pope Francis, connected a sojourn to Singapore, has warned of the antagonistic effects of artificial quality (AI) connected nine and called for “fair” wages for migrant workers.

The comments by the caput of the Catholic Church came connected Thursday arsenic the high-tech city-state became his last halt connected a 12-day Asia Pacific tour.

Technology developments hazard isolating individuals and putting them into a mendacious reality, Francis said, adding that AI should beryllium utilized to bring radical person unneurotic and to beforehand knowing and solidarity wrong society.

He besides cautioned that AI should not marque radical hide astir what is important: quality relationships.

This is not the archetypal clip the 87-year-old pontiff has weighed successful connected AI. In June, helium called for a prohibition connected “lethal autonomous weapons” during an code to the leaders of the Group of Seven apical concern democracies astatine the bloc’s acme held successful Italy.

Pope Francis travels successful a buggy arsenic helium greets volunteers connected his accomplishment successful Singapore connected Wednesday [Vincent Thian/AP Photo]

In affluent Singapore, Francis besides made a plea for overseas labourers to beryllium paid fairly, saying “special attention” should beryllium paid to “protecting the dignity of migrant workers”.

“These workers lend a large woody to nine and should beryllium guaranteed a just wage,” helium said successful an code to section governmental leaders and dignitaries.

Cheap labour has been instrumental successful the accelerated maturation of gleaming metropolises specified arsenic Singapore.

According to authorities information from December 2023, determination were 1.1 cardinal foreigners connected enactment permits successful Singapore earning little than 3,000 Singaporean dollars ($2,300) per month.

The fig included 286,300 home workers and 441,100 workers successful the construction, shipyard and manufacturing sectors. Most of them hail from Bangladesh, China, India, Malaysia and the Philippines.

Advocates accidental they deficiency capable extortion against exploitation and sometimes endure mediocre surviving conditions, charges the authorities denies.

A Singapore NGO which provides services for migrant workers, the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics, welcomed the pope’s remarks, saying they were successful “full agreement” with his telephone for just wages.

According to the International Labour Organization, determination are an estimated 170 cardinal migrant workers astir the satellite – astir 5 percent of the planetary workforce.

Singapore is the past halt connected the pope’s whirlwind tour, which saw him sojourn Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and East Timor. In East Timor, helium held a wide for 600,000 faithful – astir fractional the nation’s population.

According to the Vatican, retired of the astir six cardinal residents of Singapore, immoderate 176,000 are Catholic.

A ample wide astatine Singapore’s National Stadium was expected to pull astir 55,000 radical connected Thursday afternoon.

Reporting from extracurricular the venue, Al Jazeera’s Patrick Fok said Catholics successful Singapore were “simply excited and elated” to beryllium receiving the pope.

He added that radical from crossed the portion had travelled to the city-state for the occasion, including from Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines.

Francis flies backmost to Rome connected Friday.

Source

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies