Italy's Prime Minister, Giorgia Meloni, has appointed former Prime Minister Giuliano Amato to run a commission on AI and publishing.
According to Wired Italy, "The commission led by Amato will have the task of evaluating the risks and opportunities that the application of artificial intelligence can have in the publishing market and journalism."
While it's not fair to criticize Meloni's selection of an 85-year-old to oversee the impact of cutting-edge technology on society, the fact that Amato has no AI or IT experience makes one wonder if there was anyone in Italy who would have been more suitable for the role.
From Read Write Web:
According to a report by Wired Italy, the commission nicknamed the "algorithms commission," will evaluate the risks and opportunities of applying AI in the news and publishing industries.
The choice of Amato, whose long political career includes stints as deputy, minister, prime minister, and recently president of the Constitutional Court, has raised some eyebrows. Particularly given that he just made headlines blocking referendum efforts on cannabis and end-of-life choices — not faring well for expectations of progressive policies when faced with new technologies and rapid change.
The appointment was made by Alfredo Barachini, undersecretary to Meloni, for publishing and information. It seems an unconventional pick compared to other countries like the UK, which named 41-year-old tech entrepreneur and machine learning expert Ian Hogarth to lead a similar commission.
