ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Leo XIV stated on Monday that concerns regarding artificial intelligence (AI) becoming uncontrollable are not 'fake news' and warrant serious discussion. He emphasized the importance of addressing safety issues raised by AI experts during a press conference while returning from France.
In response to a question about the actions the United States and China should take to mitigate potential catastrophic risks from AI, Leo highlighted the need for dialogue. President Donald Trump has previously dismissed concerns about AI going rogue as a 'hoax.'
Leo, who dedicated his first encyclical to AI and its implications for humanity, remarked, 'This is a problem that I think we need to sit down and talk about. We can't just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen.' Trump has been an advocate for AI, warning that the U.S. must maintain its technological edge over China, and has characterized efforts to regulate AI as part of a 'conspiracy' by political opponents.
Several AI companies, including Anthropic, have called for a pause in AI development to allow safety measures to catch up. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has cautioned that within six to twelve months, AI could potentially lead a swarm of agents capable of taking control of the internet.
Trump mentioned plans to have dinner with Amodei but has not commented on the meeting. Leo stated, 'If someone were to ask me 'Am I in panic mode?' No I'm not. I sleep at night,' while affirming that the concerns of AI experts should be taken seriously. He rejected the notion that these concerns are 'fake news,' suggesting that such claims are made to create financial or other advantages.
The pope has called for strong regulation of AI and a slowdown in its development in his encyclical 'Magnificent Humanity.' Despite the demands of a four-day trip to France, Leo was aware of a news report about Nvidia implementing guardrails for AI, noting the company's previous resistance to external regulation.
Leo urged political leaders and AI developers to collaborate and assess the current state of AI and its future implications. He stated, 'To simply say 'Oh it's not going to happen' and close our eyes to it I think is probably not the most responsible way to go about that.'
As concerns about AI escalate, the CEO of OpenAI, the organization behind ChatGPT, announced plans to delay selling stock to investors until next year to prioritize safety. Leo mentioned that since the publication of his encyclical in May, the Vatican has received interest from individuals wanting to engage in discussions about AI. A Vatican commission is working to facilitate dialogue and research to ensure that AI does not reach a point where it could threaten humanity or exclude it from the conversation.
Leo expressed a 'relatively optimistic' outlook on finding solutions, stating, 'I think there are enough people seriously interested in that and willing to look at that outside of the questions once again of power, who gets there first.' He had previously identified AI as one of the most significant challenges facing humanity shortly after his election.