Pope Leo rejects Trump claims, stating artificial intelligence safety warnings are not fake news

In-flight press conference

Pope Leo XIV addressed artificial intelligence safety concerns on Monday during an in-flight press conference returning to Rome after a four-day apostolic visit to France. The American pontiff, who has led the Catholic Church for 16 months, dismissed assertions that warnings from computer scientists represent fabricated panic or political disinformation. His statements directly countered remarks by US President Donald Trump, who told the United Nations General Assembly last week that fears of AI endangering humanity were a hoax. When asked by journalists whether he feared artificial intelligence could destroy human society, Leo stated that he was not in panic mode while insisting the technical warnings require serious international attention.

He described his personal mindset to reporters on board the papal aircraft.

If someone were to ask me 'am I in panic mode?' No, I'm not. I sleep at night.

Rejection of hoax claims

The pope insisted that safety arguments presented by artificial intelligence experts must not be dismissed as falsehoods invented for financial gain or commercial advantage. President Trump previously argued that efforts to regulate AI formed part of a political conspiracy that risked ceding technological superiority to China. Leo responded that ignoring technical risks and assuming catastrophic scenarios cannot happen is an irresponsible approach to governing new technologies. He emphasized that the Vatican has already established a dedicated commission tasked with finding ways to prevent artificial intelligence from displacing or destroying humanity.

He called for collective global dialogue and sustained study during the flight.

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.

Scepticism toward industry deregulation

The pontiff also expressed scepticism toward technology executives who argue against statutory limits on artificial intelligence development. Pope Leo noted that Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang had discussed software methods to insert guardrails into AI models while simultaneously opposing government intervention and regulation. Huang previously told CBS News that safety fears were overblown, suggesting security companies promoted panic to create commercial opportunities. In contrast, other industry figures, such as Anthropic chief executive Dario Amodei, have urged a slowdown in development, warning that AI could direct swarms of autonomous agents capable of seizing control of the internet within 6 to 12 months.

Vatican encyclical and upcoming schedule

The papal remarks follow a series of Holy See initiatives aimed at international technology governance. In May, Leo issued his first encyclical, titled Magnifica Humanitas, calling for efforts to disarm artificial intelligence to prevent the technology from dominating human beings. During an address on Friday in Paris, the pope told audiences that society must train minds in ethical discernment to protect human dignity amid machine systems. In Washington, Donald Trump and House Speaker Mike Johnson are scheduled to meet with technology executives on Tuesday to discuss artificial intelligence policy. Leo, who previously served as head of the worldwide Augustinian Order, also noted that while he hopes to visit Germany eventually, his next confirmed foreign journey is World Youth Day in South Korea in August next year.