Pope Leo urges serious discussion of AI safety risks

Pope Leo XIV said Monday that warnings from artificial intelligence experts about potential dangers should be taken seriously, urging scientists, political leaders, technology executives and the public to discuss how to address the risks. He said he was not panicked but rejected dismissing the concerns as fake news. Leo made the remarks to journalists aboard the papal plane returning to Rome from a four-day visit to France. He cautioned that simply assuming dangerous outcomes would not occur and ignoring the issue was not responsible. The reports establish his position, but do not independently assess the likelihood or timing of catastrophic AI risks. The pope called for cooperation to examine both the technology’s current effects and what it could mean in the future. He said a Vatican commission was engaging experts and working on dialogue and study about AI’s effects on humanity. Leo expressed optimism that people would address the subject beyond competition over who develops the technology first.