Pope Francis on Friday called for a ban on "lethal autonomous weapons", as he addressed the G7 leaders' summit in Italy on the perils of artificial intelligence.

"In light of the tragedy that is armed conflict, it is urgent to reconsider the development and use of devices like the so-called 'lethal autonomous weapons' and ultimately ban their use," the pope said.

Francis became the first pontiff to address the G7 group of industrialised nations as he called on countries and global bodies to push for stronger guardrails on AI given the boom in artificial intelligence and its applications.

Leaders of the Group of Seven nations turned their attention to migration at the start of the second day of their summit Friday, seeking ways to combat trafficking and increase investment in countries from where migrants start out on often life-threatening journeys.

In addition to AI, the gathering in a luxury resort in Italy’s southern Puglia region also discussed other major topics, such as financial support for Ukraine, the war in Gaza, climate change, as well as China’s industrial policy and economic security. (Agencies)