Contradicting Trump, Pope Leo says artificial intelligence safety concerns aren't 'fake news'

Pope Leo XIV said Monday that concerns about artificial intelligence going rogue are not "fake news" and should be taken seriously, directly contradicting President Donald Trump, who has dismissed AI safety concerns as a "hoax." Speaking aboard the papal plane returning from France, Leo urged political and tech leaders to sit down and address AI risks, saying humanity cannot pretend nothing will happen. He noted that several AI companies, including Anthropic, have called for a development slowdown to let safety measures catch up, and that OpenAI's CEO has delayed selling stock to Wall Street to focus on safety. Leo, who published his first encyclical "Magnificent Humanity" on AI in May and launched it alongside Anthropic's co-founder Christopher Olah at a Vatican event, identified AI as one of humanity's biggest challenges and called for robust regulation. He expressed optimism that solutions could be found, noting that a Vatican commission is working to promote dialogue to ensure AI does not destroy humanity. The remarks mark another area of disagreement between Leo and Trump, who recently met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and dismissed calls for AI regulation.

(Source：NBC News)