Dismissing recent claims that artificial intelligence dangers are overblown, Pope Leo XIV on Monday insisted that the tech community and world leaders must treat expert warnings with genuine attention. His remarks came just days after Donald Trump labeled AI concerns a "hoax" at the UN General Assembly, and included pointed criticism of Nvidia's chief executive Jensen Huang for his opposition to government oversight of the technology.

Speaking to journalists aboard his flight returning to Rome following a four-day visit to France, Leo XIV stressed that he remains calm about the situation, saying he "sleeps at night." Yet he made clear that dismissing safety concerns as propaganda serves only narrow interests.

I do think that the concerns raised by many of the experts, specialists in AI, should be taken seriously. I don't think that that is fake news, as some have said, to try and cause whether financial or some other kind of benefit.

Pope Leo XIV

Trump's characterization of AI fears as a hoax, first reported by Joshua McElwee for Reuters, has been reinforced through multiple posts on Truth Social. A White House official explained to Axios that the president views Democratic invocation of AI risks as a political maneuver ahead of midterm elections.

'The same one'

The pontiff referenced a Nvidia announcement released on Monday regarding AI guardrails, noting that the company had unveiled a safety platform designed for agents. However, Leo XIV expressed concern about what he saw as a contradiction in Huang's public positions.

He's the same one, however, that says there should be no limits placed and no government regulation.

Pope Leo XIV

According to Reuters reporting, Huang told CBS News this month that he shared Trump's perspective on AI safety, arguing that public anxiety about the technology has become excessive.

'What could be down the road'

Leo XIV outlined the Church's commitment to fostering continued engagement among policymakers, industry leaders, and civil society organizations on artificial intelligence matters.

We need to continue to invite political leaders, the leaders of AI, social organisations, associations to come together and look at what is happening already and what could be down the road.

Pope Leo XIV

The pontiff emphasized that this collaborative approach aims to prevent AI from evolving into a threat to human survival while ensuring that humanity remains central to decisions about the technology's development.

Leo XIV, the first American pope, has made artificial intelligence a defining focus of his 16-month tenure leading the Catholic Church. His inaugural encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, released in May, cautioned that AI could undermine human reasoning capacity, exacerbate social disparities, and threaten democratic institutions. During a Thursday address at UNESCO in Paris, he spoke further on the relationship between AI and human dignity.

Meanwhile, Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson are scheduled to meet with technology executives at the White House on Tuesday. Reuters sources indicate that Huang will participate, alongside Meta's Mark Zuckerberg and Anthropic's Dario Amodei. Johnson has indicated that these discussions will attempt to establish equilibrium between technological advancement and regulatory oversight.

Source: The Next Web