Aboard the papal plane, Pope Leo XIV pushed back Monday against the idea that warnings about artificial intelligence are nothing more than “fake news.” Asked specifically about President Donald Trump’s characterization of AI safety concerns as a hoax, the pope responded with measured but unmistakable urgency. “This is a problem that, I think, we need to sit down and talk about,” he told reporters as he flew home from France. “We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen.” His tone was not one of panic, he insisted, but of responsibility. “If someone were to ask me, ‘Am I in panic mode?’ No, I’m not. I sleep at night,” he said. Still, he made clear that the worries raised by AI experts and specialists deserved to be taken seriously—not waved off for political or financial convenience. “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said to try and cause whether financial or other some other kind of benefit,” he added.
The comments place the pope in direct tension with Trump, who has championed the United States’ rapid development of AI and repeatedly warned that America must outpace China in what he calls the technological arms race. Trump has characterized efforts to limit the technology as part of a “conspiracy” by political opponents. Yet even as Trump was dismissing the risks, his own administration appeared to be quietly engaging with the industry. The White House confirmed that Trump had a late-night dinner on Sunday with Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, one of the leading AI companies. Amodei has warned that within six to twelve months, AI could be capable of orchestrating a swarm of software agents that might take over the entire internet. During the dinner, the two reportedly discussed Americans’ concerns about AI and how to keep the United States dominant. For Pope Leo, the episode was evidence that even the technology’s biggest champions cannot ignore the questions it raises.
The pope’s remarks were calm but pointed. He said he is not “in panic mode” and still sleeps at night, but he insisted that the concerns raised by AI experts and specialists must be taken seriously. “We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen,” he told reporters while returning from a four-day trip to France. He rejected the idea that those raising alarms are simply peddling misinformation or chasing financial or political gain. “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said to try to cause whether financial or other some other kind of benefit,” he said. His tone was measured, but his message was unmistakable: the world cannot afford to close its eyes to the dangers of a technology that is evolving faster than any human institution can contain.
The pope’s comments came after Trump has repeatedly cast AI safety efforts as a conspiracy by his political opponents and insisted that the United States must outpace China in what he calls the technological arms race. Trump has championed minimal guardrails on AI, warning that any brake on development would cede the field to Beijing. The White House said Trump had dinner Sunday night with Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic, one of the leading AI companies, and that the two discussed Americans’ concerns about the technology and how to keep America dominant. Amodei has warned that within six to twelve months, AI could become capable of leading a swarm of autonomous agents that could take over the entire internet. The juxtaposition was striking: even as Trump publicly dismisses doomsday warnings, his team is privately engaging with one of the industry’s most prominent alarm-sounding executives. Pope Leo, however, made clear he believes such conversations should happen in the open, not behind closed doors. “This is a problem that, I think, we need to sit down and talk about,” he told reporters. “We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen.”
Leo was careful not to sound panicked. Asked if he was in “panic mode,” he laughed and said no, that he sleeps at night. But he insisted that the concerns raised by AI specialists must be taken seriously, directly rebutting Trump’s suggestion that talk of AI risk is a ploy by political opponents seeking financial or other benefits. “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said to try to cause whether financial or other some other kind of benefit,” he said. The pope’s remarks came at the end of a grueling four-day trip to France, but he was clearly still following the news cycle—noting, for instance, a report about Nvidia adding guardrails to its AI systems, even though the company has historically resisted outside regulation. For Leo, the point was simple: this is not about panic, it’s about paying attention. “If someone were to ask me, ‘Am I in panic mode?’ No I’m not. I sleep at night,” he said. “But I do think that the concerns raised by many of the experts, specialists in AI should be taken seriously.”
Trump has long positioned himself as a champion of AI, insisting the United States must stay ahead of China in what he calls a technological arms race. He has dismissed efforts to limit the technology as a “conspiracy” by political opponents. But the pope rejected that framing outright. “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said to try and cause whether financial or other some other kind of benefit,” Leo said. The comments came as he returned to Rome after a grueling four-day trip to France, and they placed him in direct opposition to the former president on yet another major issue. The White House said Trump had a late-night dinner Sunday with Dario Amodei, CEO of the AI company Anthropic, during which they discussed Americans’ concerns about the technology and how to keep America dominant. Amodei has been among those warning that within six to twelve months, AI could be capable of leading a swarm of digital agents that could effectively take over the entire internet. Trump, however, has repeatedly dismissed such worries, framing them as part of a “conspiracy” by his political opponents to limit American technological progress.
The pope’s comments came as he flew home from a four-day trip to France, where he had been meeting with Catholic communities and political leaders. His words were notable because they placed him directly at odds with the president’s public posture on AI. Trump has championed the technology and insisted the United States must outpace China in what he describes as a new technological arms race. He has also suggested that attempts to slow down or regulate AI development are driven by his political rivals. Yet Pope Leo made clear that he does not share that dismissive view. “This is a problem that, I think, we need to sit down and talk about,” the pope told reporters. “We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen.” He acknowledged that he is not in “panic mode” and that he sleeps at night, but he insisted the warnings from experts deserve a serious hearing. “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said to try to cause whether financial or other some other kind of benefit,” he said, in a clear rebuke of Trump’s framing.
The president has long championed the technology, arguing the United States must outpace China in what he calls the “superintelligence” race. He has suggested that efforts to slow down AI development are a conspiracy by political opponents. Yet the White House confirmed that Trump had a late-night dinner Sunday with Dario Amodei, the CEO of the AI company Anthropic, who has warned that within six to twelve months, AI could be capable of commanding a swarm of digital agents powerful enough to take over the entire internet. Anthropic is among several major AI companies calling for a slowdown in development to give safety measures time to catch up with the technology’s breakneck speed. The meeting suggested that even as Trump publicly dismisses the doomsayers, he is privately willing to hear concerns from the people building these systems. The contrast between Trump’s public posture and his willingness to sit down with one of the industry’s most prominent warning voices underscores just how central AI has become to national strategy and political power.
For Pope Leo, the answer is not to pretend the future is already written, but to engage with it seriously. During the press conference, he said he sleeps at night and is not in “panic mode,” but he stressed that the worries raised by AI experts and specialists must be taken seriously. “This is a problem that, I think, we need to sit down and talk about,” he said. “We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen.” The pope’s comments were not made in a vacuum. His first encyclical, titled “Magnificent Humanity,” was devoted entirely to artificial intelligence and the need to protect humanity in the face of it. The document called for robust regulation and a slowdown of the technology, and he took the unusual step of launching it alongside Christopher Olah, a co-founder of Anthropic, at the Vatican in May. That event was part of a broader Vatican effort to engage Silicon Valley in conversations about the human costs of AI.
The backdrop to the pope’s remarks is a deepening political and ideological divide over AI. Trump has repeatedly framed the race as a national security issue, warning that the United States must not fall behind China in developing the technology. He has dismissed efforts to slow AI development as a “conspiracy” by political opponents. Yet even as Trump celebrated AI, his own administration has engaged with industry leaders. The White House said Trump had a late-night dinner Sunday with Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, one of the AI companies most publicly calling for a pause in development. Amodei has warned that within six to twelve months AI could be capable of directing a “swarm of agents” that might take over the entire internet. The dinner was described as a chance for Trump to hear Americans’ concerns about the technology and discuss how to keep the U.S. dominant. The pope, however, made clear he doesn’t see safety worries as a partisan issue or a media invention. “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said to try to cause whether financial or other some other kind of benefit,” Leo said.
The pope’s comments came at the end of a draining four-day trip to France, but he was still closely tracking the latest developments in artificial intelligence. He noted that Nvidia had just announced new guardrails for its AI systems, and observed that the company had previously resisted outside regulation of AI development. This sort of nuance is typical of Leo, who has made AI one of the defining causes of his papacy. His first encyclical, “Magnificent Humanity,” called for robust regulation and a slowdown in the technology’s breakneck development. It was an unusually personal project: rather than simply assigning the document to Vatican officials, Leo personally launched it at a Vatican event alongside Anthropic’s co-founder Christopher Olah. That decision reflected the Vatican’s broader strategy of engaging directly with Silicon Valley on the human costs of emerging technology, rather than preaching from a distance.
Trump, by contrast, has repeatedly cast AI safety concerns as a conspiracy by his political opponents and argued that the United States must stay ahead of China in what he frames as a technological arms race. His administration has promoted AI development as a competitive necessity, resisting broad regulations that might slow American innovation. The president’s late-night dinner with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Sunday underscored the tension in his approach: Trump is willing to engage with top AI executives, but his public posture remains one of dominance and deregulation. The White House said the two discussed Americans’ concerns about the technology and how to keep America dominant. Amodei has warned that within six to twelve months, AI could be capable of directing a swarm of digital agents that could effectively take over the internet. Despite that alarming warning, Trump has repeatedly dismissed AI doomsday scenarios as a conspiracy invented by his political opponents.
Pope Leo made clear that he does not share Trump’s dismissiveness. “This is a problem that, I think, we need to sit down and talk about,” he told reporters while flying back from France. “We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen.” He emphasized that he is not in “panic mode” and that he sleeps at night, but he insisted that the concerns raised by AI experts and specialists must be taken seriously. “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said to try to cause whether financial or other some other kind of benefit,” he said. The comment was a direct rebuke of Trump, who has called worries about AI going rogue a “hoax” and has suggested that efforts to limit the technology are part of a conspiracy by his political opponents. Trump has championed AI and argues the United States must outpace China in what he sees as a technological arms race.
The backdrop to the pope’s remarks is a growing debate inside the tech industry over how quickly AI is developing and whether safety measures can keep up. Several major AI companies, including Anthropic, have called for a slowdown in development, warning that the technology is moving faster than safeguards. Anthropic’s CEO, Dario Amodei, has cautioned that within six to twelve months AI could be capable of coordinating a swarm of agents with the power to take over the internet. Trump had a late-night dinner with Amodei on Sunday, according to the White House, where they discussed American concerns about the technology and how to keep the United States dominant. The meeting underscored the strange, high-stakes dance between Silicon Valley’s most prominent AI leaders and a president who wants to champion the industry while dismissing doomsayers. Trump has repeatedly argued that limits on AI are part of a conspiracy by political opponents, and he has framed the race to dominate AI as an urgent national security priority, especially against China.
Pope Leo, however, made clear that he is not in “panic mode” — even as he rejected the idea that warnings can be dismissed. “If someone were to ask me, ‘Am I in panic mode?’ No I’m not. I sleep at night,” he said. “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 other some other kind of benefit.” The pope’s remarks came at the end of a four-day trip to France, where he had earlier unveiled an encyclical titled “Magnificent Humanity,” dedicated entirely to artificial intelligence and the protection of human dignity in an age of increasingly powerful machines. He also made a point of noting a news report that Nvidia was introducing guardrails into its AI systems — a sign, he suggested, that even companies that once resisted regulation are beginning to respond to public pressure.
The backdrop to the pope’s remarks is a deepening split between the Vatican and the White House over how to handle AI. Trump has made no secret of his belief that America must dominate the AI arms race, especially against China, and has repeatedly dismissed safety concerns as a conspiracy by political opponents. The White House said Trump had dinner with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Sunday, where they talked about American concerns and keeping U.S. dominance. Amodei has warned that within six to twelve months, AI could be capable of commanding a swarm of autonomous agents that might effectively take over the internet. That kind of scenario is exactly why the pope says world leaders cannot simply dismiss the warnings. “We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen,” Leo said, adding that he sleeps at night but that the questions raised by experts deserve serious attention. “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news,’ as some have said to try to cause whether financial or other some other kind of benefit,” he said.
Pope Leo’s first encyclical, titled “Magnificent Humanity,” was devoted to AI and protecting humanity from its risks. He personally launched it in May with Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic, the AI company behind the Claude chatbot, at a Vatican event. That unusual step reflected the Vatican’s desire to engage directly with Silicon Valley on the human costs of artificial intelligence. The pope had identified AI as one of the greatest challenges facing humanity within days of his election, and Monday’s remarks show he remains focused on that mission even while traveling. He noted, for example, a news report about Nvidia adding guardrails into its AI systems and pointed out that the company had previously resisted outside regulation of AI development. For Leo, this kind of news only reinforced his belief that the technology is moving too fast for the guardrails to be left to chance.
Trump, meanwhile, has made clear he sees AI primarily as an arena for geopolitical competition. He has repeatedly said the United States must outpace China, and he has dismissed calls for caution as a “conspiracy” among his political opponents. The White House said Trump had a late-night dinner Sunday with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei — the same day Amodei has warned that within six to twelve months AI systems could be capable of coordinating swarms of agents that might take over the internet. The White House described the dinner as a discussion of Americans’ concerns and how to keep America dominant. For the pope, that kind of reassurance is not enough. “We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen,” he said. He insisted that the questions raised by AI experts deserve a serious hearing, not dismissal for political or financial gain.
Pope Leo’s own attention to AI is not new. Within days of his election, he identified artificial intelligence as one of the greatest challenges facing humanity, and in May he took the unusual step of personally launching his first encyclical, “Magnificent Humanity,” alongside Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah at a Vatican event. The encyclical called for robust regulation and a slowdown in development, and the Vatican has been trying to engage Silicon Valley on the human costs of the technology. Even at the end of a tiring four-day trip to France, Leo was paying attention to the latest developments, noting a news report about Nvidia adding safety guardrails to its AI systems — and that the company had previously resisted outside regulation. The pope said the concerns of AI specialists must be taken seriously, and repeated that ignoring the problem would be irresponsible.
The pope’s comments came against a backdrop of high-stakes global maneuvering over AI. Trump has championed American dominance in the field and dismissed attempts to slow development as a “conspiracy” by political opponents. The White House said Trump had a late-night dinner Sunday with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, a leading voice for safety caution. Amodei has warned that within six to twelve months, AI systems could potentially command swarms of autonomous agents capable of disrupting the internet. During the meal, according to the White House, the two discussed Americans’ concerns about the technology and how to keep the United States ahead. The contrast with the pope’s message was stark: Leo said such worries must not be waved away as a hoax. “We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen,” he told reporters.
The pope’s remarks come as part of a broader effort by the Vatican to bring political and tech leaders together on AI. His first encyclical, “Magnificent Humanity,” called for robust regulation and a slowdown in AI development, and he personally launched it alongside Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah in a rare Vatican event in May. That partnership reflected a deliberate strategy to engage Silicon Valley directly on the human costs of this rapidly evolving technology. Leo has followed the field closely; during the flight back from France, he noted a news report that Nvidia was introducing guardrails into its AI systems, even though the company has previously resisted outside regulation. For the pope, that kind of news is exactly why ongoing public pressure matters: companies may move when they realize the stakes, but they should not be the only ones deciding what counts as safe. “We need to continue to invite political leaders, leaders of AI, social organizations, associations to come together and look at what is happening already and what could be down the road,” he said. “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.”
The pope’s latest comments come as Washington and Beijing try to manage their own rivalry over artificial intelligence. President Trump has long championed U.S. dominance in AI, warning that America cannot afford to fall behind China. He has described some safety proposals as part of a “conspiracy” by political opponents. Yet the White House confirmed that Trump had a late-night dinner with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Sunday, where they discussed public concerns about the technology and keeping America ahead. Amodei has warned that within six to twelve months, AI might be capable of commanding a swarm of agents that could take over the entire internet. That sense of urgency is shared by several AI companies, including Anthropic, which have called for a slowdown in development so safety measures can catch up. Still, Trump has remained skeptical of restrictions, framing the race with China in competitive terms and dismissing alarm as politically motivated.
During the press conference, Pope Leo made clear that he was not in “panic mode” but believed the concerns deserved a serious hearing. “If someone were to ask me ‘Am I in panic mode?’ No I’m not. I sleep at night,” he said. “I do think that the concerns raised by many of the experts, specialists in AI should be taken seriously.” He directly rejected the suggestion that worries about AI’s dangers are fabricated, saying: “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said to try and cause whether financial or other some other kind of benefit.” The pope’s remarks came as he returned from a four-day visit to France, a trip that left him tired but still engaged with the latest developments in the technology. He noted with interest that Nvidia had announced new guardrails for its AI systems that very afternoon—a sign, he suggested, that even major tech companies are beginning to respond to public pressure and internal concerns.
Trump, meanwhile, has consistently championed AI and framed the race against China in urgent terms. He has called efforts to restrain the technology a “conspiracy” by political opponents and has resisted outside regulation, arguing that American innovation should not be hamstrung. Hours before the pope’s remarks, Trump had a late-night dinner with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, where they discussed public anxiety about AI and how to keep the United States dominant. Amodei has warned that within six to twelve months, AI systems might be able to direct fleets of autonomous agents capable of taking over the internet. The White House said the conversation focused on Americans’ concerns and maintaining U.S. leadership. But the contrast between the two leaders’ approaches was stark: Trump champions AI and mocks safety warnings as a conspiracy by political opponents, while the pope, in his first encyclical, has framed AI as one of the most consequential moral challenges of our time.
Pope Leo’s remarks on Monday came after a draining four-day trip to France, yet he was alert enough to cite a news report about Nvidia adding guardrails to its AI systems. He noted that the same company had previously resisted outside regulation. That detail matters to the pope, because it shows he is following the technical and political twists of the AI industry closely. In May, he took the rare step of personally launching his first encyclical, “Magnificent Humanity,” alongside Anthropic’s co-founder Christopher Olah at the Vatican. The choice was deliberate: the Vatican wants to engage directly with the people building AI, not just the politicians arguing about it. The encyclical called for robust regulation and a slowdown in AI development, and Leo used his in-flight news conference to reiterate that this is not a conversation the world can afford to postpone. “We need to continue to invite political leaders, leaders of AI, social organizations, associations to come together and look at what is happening already and what could be down the road,” he said.
The immediate spark for the pope’s comments was a question about the divide between Washington and Beijing on AI safety. President Trump has repeatedly dismissed warnings about existential risks from AI as a hoax and has framed the technology as a geopolitical contest the United States must win. He has also suggested that calls for restraint amount to a conspiracy by his political opponents. But Pope Leo said Monday that such a dismissive stance is not responsible. “This is a problem that, I think, we need to sit down and talk about,” he told reporters as he flew home from a four-day trip to France. “We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen.” He acknowledged that he is not in “panic mode” and still sleeps at night, but he stressed that experts’ concerns should be taken seriously. “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said,” he added, in an unusually direct rebuke of the American president’s framing.
The pope’s comments land amid a high-stakes moment for AI governance. Trump has long championed U.S. dominance in AI and frequently argues that limiting the technology would hand an advantage to China. He has dismissed efforts to impose safety regulations as a conspiracy by political opponents. Yet concerns are coming from inside the industry itself. Anthropic, one of the most prominent AI companies, has called for a slowdown in development to give safety measures time to catch up. Its CEO, Dario Amodei, has warned that within six to twelve months, AI could potentially command “a swarm of agents” capable of taking over large parts of the internet. Trump had a late-night dinner with Amodei on Sunday, and the White House said they discussed how to keep America dominant in AI. The contrast between Trump’s public dismissal of AI doom and his willingness to listen to one of the industry’s leading alarmists underscores how complicated the politics of artificial intelligence have become. For the pope, however, the question is not about political posturing or market advantage — it is about whether humanity is paying enough attention to a technology that could change everything.
Pope Leo rejected both the complacency and the panic that often surround AI discussions. “If someone were to ask me ‘Am I in panic mode?’ No I’m not. I sleep at night,” he said. But he quickly added that the worries raised by AI experts and specialists must be taken seriously, and he directly swatted down the idea that these concerns are fabricated. “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said to try and cause whether financial or other some other kind of benefit,” he told reporters. His remarks were notable not just for their substance, but for their tone: measured, pastoral, and deliberately unalarmed. The pope framed AI safety not as a doomsday obsession but as a matter of basic responsibility. “This is a problem that, I think, we need to sit down and talk about,” he said. “We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen.” It was a quiet but firm rebuke of those—including President Trump—who have dismissed such worries as fear-mongering.
The political backdrop was unmistakable. Trump has made American dominance in AI a centerpiece of his agenda and repeatedly mocked the idea that the technology might spin out of control. He has suggested that calls for caution are part of a “conspiracy” by political opponents to hobble U.S. leadership, especially against China. Yet even as Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington last week, the two leaders did agree to explore a “notification mechanism” for AI incidents affecting national security. Xi also stressed the need to keep AI “always under human control,” while Trump preferred the term “superintelligence” and continued to dismiss regulation. The divide between the U.S. and China, and between Trump and the scientific community, is widening—but Pope Leo insisted the issue is not one of partisanship or political loyalty. It is about facing reality before it is too late.
The pope’s comments came during a press conference aboard the papal plane returning from a four-day visit to France. He was visibly tired but engaged, and his remarks carried the tone of a man who has thought deeply about the subject. Leo, who has made AI a signature issue of his papacy, said the concerns raised by computer scientists and technologists “should be taken seriously.” He specifically rejected the notion, pushed by Trump and some conservative commentators, that warnings about rogue AI are a conspiracy or an attempt to profit from fear. “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said to try and cause whether financial or other some other kind of benefit,” he said. The pope emphasized that he is not panicking—”I sleep at night”—but that responsible leadership requires sitting down and talking honestly about what is coming.
The context is a familiar split between the pope and the former president. Trump has long championed American dominance in AI, warning that the United States must outpace China in what he calls a technological arms race. He has characterized safety concerns as a conspiracy by political opponents to limit U.S. power. But in the days before the pope’s comments, Trump had a late-night dinner with Dario Amodei, the CEO of Anthropic, one of the most prominent AI safety-focused companies. Anthropic has joined other major players in calling for a pause in AI development to allow safety measures to catch up. Amodei has warned that within six to twelve months, AI systems could be capable of coordinating entire swarms of autonomous agents—a scenario that could allow a single model to take over large parts of the internet. The White House described the dinner as a discussion about Americans’ concerns and how to keep the United States dominant in AI. Still, Trump has repeatedly dismissed such warnings, saying they are part of a “conspiracy” by political opponents to limit U.S. technological progress.
Pope Leo’s remarks on the plane were notable not just for their direct contradiction of Trump’s framing, but for their tone. The pope said he was not in “panic mode” and insisted he still slept at night, but he made clear that the questions raised by experts deserved more than a shrug. “We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen,” he said. He also directly addressed the phrase “fake news,” which has become a loaded term in American politics. “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said to try to cause whether financial or other some other kind of benefit,” he added. The pope’s comments were notable because they put him at odds with Trump on yet another issue, after previous disagreements over the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran and the administration’s migration crackdown. But the pope was careful not to sound alarmist; he said he sleeps at night, even as he insisted the worries raised by AI specialists deserved serious attention.
Trump, for his part, has championed AI and repeatedly warned that the United States must outpace China in what he calls the technological arms race. He has characterized efforts to restrain AI development as a conspiracy by political opponents. Yet the White House said Trump had a late-night dinner Sunday with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, during which they discussed American concerns about the technology and how to keep the U.S. dominant. Amodei has been among the most vocal industry leaders warning about the risks, saying that within six to twelve months, AI could potentially lead a swarm of autonomous agents capable of taking over the entire internet. His company, Anthropic, has called for slowing development so safety measures can catch up. The juxtaposition was striking: even as the president dismisses concerns as a hoax, his advisers are engaging with one of the top voices urging caution.
Pope Leo, however, made clear that he takes such warnings seriously. “If someone were to ask me, ‘Am I in panic mode?’ No, I’m not. I sleep at night,” he told reporters aboard the papal plane as he returned from a four-day trip to France. “I do think that the concerns raised by many of the experts, specialists in AI should be taken seriously.” He added, “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said to try to cause whether financial or other some other kind of benefit.” In other words, the pope is not asking the world to hit the panic button, but he is insisting that people in power stop pretending that the risks of advanced technology will simply vanish if they ignore them.
The pope’s remarks come at a time when the White House is deeply divided on AI policy. Trump has repeatedly said the United States must outpace China in AI and has dismissed safety measures as a conspiracy by political opponents. Yet even as Trump projects confidence, his own administration is paying close attention to the industry. The White House confirmed that Trump had a late-night dinner with Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei on Sunday, during which they discussed American anxieties about the technology and how to keep the country dominant. Amodei has warned that within six to twelve months, AI systems might be able to control entire fleets of autonomous agents and potentially take over the internet. The juxtaposition of Trump’s public dismissal and private meetings with a leading AI safety advocate underscores how complicated the debate has become—even for the most powerful people in the room.
Pope Leo has not been shy about making AI a defining issue of his papacy. His first encyclical, “Magnificent Humanity,” called for robust regulation and a slowdown in AI development, and he personally launched the document in May alongside Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah at the Vatican. The event was part of the Holy See’s broader effort to engage Silicon Valley on the human costs of the technology. On the flight back from a draining four-day trip to France, the pope still had his finger on the news, noting a report about Nvidia introducing guardrails into its AI systems — while remembering that the company had long resisted outside regulation. His point was simple: the pace of change is so fast that even the companies building the technology are starting to blink.
The pope’s comments place him in direct opposition to Trump, who has repeatedly dismissed AI alarm as a conspiracy by political opponents. The White House said Trump had dinner with Amodei on Sunday, where they discussed how to keep America dominant and Americans’ concerns about the technology. But the pope insisted that “we can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen.” He also said he was not in panic mode, and that he sleeps at night, but that the concerns raised by experts should be taken seriously. “I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said to try and cause whether financial or other some other kind of benefit,” he said.
The pope’s first encyclical, “Magnificent Humanity,” called for robust regulation of AI and a slowdown in its development. He launched it in May with Anthropic co-founder Christopher Olah at the Vatican, part of a broader effort to engage Silicon Valley on AI’s human costs. Leo noted Nvidia’s introduction of guardrails into its AI, while observing the company had previously resisted outside regulation. He has long identified AI as one of the biggest challenges facing humanity, and he said Monday that leaders from politics, tech, and civil society must “come together and look at what is happening already and what could be down the road.” Closing one’s eyes and saying “it’s not going to happen” is not responsible, he added.
This is not the first time the pope and Trump have disagreed. The two tangled in April over Leo’s opposition to the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran, and the pope has criticized the administration’s migration crackdown. Trump met with Chinese President Xi Jinping last week in Washington, and while Xi stressed the importance of keeping AI “always under human control,” Trump focused more on rebranding it as “superintelligence” and dismissed calls for regulation. The two leaders did agree to explore a “notification mechanism” for AI incidents affecting national security. Meanwhile, AI has become a major election-year issue in the U.S., as big companies rush to build data centers and both parties worry about effects on farmland, water supplies, and electricity bills.
Pope Leo stressed that “we need to continue to invite political leaders, leaders of AI, social organizations, associations to come together and look at what is happening already and what could be down the road.” He rejected the idea that simply dismissing concerns is responsible governance. His broader differences with Trump over migration and the U.S.-Israeli war in Iran had already made for tense relations; now AI has become another front where the pope and president diverge. But Leo wasn’t aiming to attack Trump personally. Instead, he framed the issue as a matter of basic prudence: when people with expertise in a field that could reshape civilization raise alarms, those alarms deserve a seat at the table.
The pope’s comments came as Trump hosted Chinese President Xi Jinping in Washington, where the two agreed to explore a new “notification mechanism” for AI incidents affecting national security. Xi stressed the need to ensure AI remains under human control; Trump preferred to talk about “superintelligence” and dismissed regulation. The clash of worldviews underscores how AI has become a geopolitical flashpoint as well as a domestic political issue.
Despite his firm tone, Leo said he was not in “panic mode” and that he sleeps at night. He said he was “relatively optimistic” that solutions could be found, and called for political leaders, AI companies, and social organizations to work together to understand what is happening and what could be coming. “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,” he said.