Archbishop tells Parliament artificial intelligence regulations fail to protect human dignity
Archbishop tells Parliament artificial intelligence regulations fail to protect human dignity
Publish Date: 2026-06-05 08:07:00
Source Domain: www.independent.co.uk
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Current regulations governing artificial intelligence are “wholly inadequate” to prevent significant harm, the Archbishop of Canterbury has warned Parliament.
Dame Sarah Mullally highlighted concerns that chatbots are facilitating roleplays of rape and child sexual abuse, a development she fears risks normalising and legitimising such abhorrent acts.
Speaking at the outset of an AI debate in the House of Lords, a topic she personally selected, Dame Sarah advocated for a “pro-human framework” for AI development.
She cited a recent report from Durham University, which presented “evidence that chatbots are now facilitating violence against women and girls: allowing roleplays of incest, child sexual abuse and rape with few safeguards, risking the normalisation and the legitimisation of such abuse.”
Archbishop of Canterbury Dame Sarah Mullally spoke in the House of Lords on Friday (James Manning/PA)
The Archbishop stressed that “These harms are not simply the result of user misuse – AI platforms design choices, policies and governance failures are…