Key Points
Pope Leo affirmed that concerns regarding AI’s potential dangers to humanity are legitimate and should not be dismissed.
The Vatican leader specifically challenged Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s stance against implementing new AI regulations.
These remarks were delivered during the papal flight returning to Rome from France on Monday.
President Trump recently characterized AI safety concerns as a “hoax” during a UN address.
A White House meeting with technology executives including Huang, Zuckerberg, Amodei and Brockman is scheduled to discuss AI policy.
During his return flight to Rome following a four-day visit to France on Monday, Pope Leo engaged with journalists about mounting anxieties surrounding artificial intelligence and its potential societal implications.
The pontiff emphasized that warnings issued by artificial intelligence researchers deserve serious consideration. “I don’t think that that is fake news, as some have said,” he stated to the press corps.
This statement seemed directed at President Donald Trump, who recently declared at the UN General Assembly that concerns about AI posing an existential threat to humanity were a “hoax.”
On his return flight from France, Pope Leo XIV is asked if he is "worried are you that AI could pose catastrophic risks to humanity or even wipe it out entirely", to which he responds:
"If someone were to ask me, am I in panic mode? No, I'm not. I sleep at night. I do think that… pic.twitter.com/grHVxN5RRd
— Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) September 28, 2026
Vatican Leader Highlights Nvidia’s Contradictory Approach
Pope Leo referenced recent developments at Nvidia, specifically the company’s unveiling of “Sentry,” a monitoring system created to oversee AI agents operating on its hardware.
The pontiff raised questions about the apparent contradiction between Nvidia developing internal safety mechanisms while its chief executive opposes external regulatory frameworks.
“It’s interesting to note that, just today, I read that the head of Nvidia claims that he has found some way of inserting into AI certain guardrails,” Pope Leo remarked.
He noted the inconsistency that this same executive maintains there should be no restrictions on AI development and no governmental oversight.
Jensen Huang, Nvidia’s CEO, has consistently advocated for industry self-regulation regarding AI safety protocols. He maintains that additional legislation is unnecessary.
“The market forces are already there. We don’t need any new laws. We don’t need new regulations,” Huang declared earlier this month.
In a CBS News interview this month, Huang also expressed agreement with Trump’s assessment that AI safety worries were exaggerated.
Ongoing Global Conversation About AI Governance
Throughout his 16-month tenure as the first American pontiff, Pope Leo has consistently addressed AI-related risks.
He emphasized the importance of preventing AI from advancing to a level where it could threaten human existence. He advocated for sustained conversation, research and examination of the technology.
“We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing’s going to happen,” the pope warned.
Several prominent figures in the AI sector have also advocated for enhanced protective measures. Both Sam Altman of OpenAI and Dario Amodei of Anthropic have emphasized the importance of global collaboration on AI governance frameworks.
A Tuesday meeting at the White House will bring together Trump and leading technology executives to address AI policy. The attendee list includes Huang, Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, Anthropic’s Dario Amodei and OpenAI’s Greg Brockman.
House Speaker Mike Johnson indicated the gathering will examine how to balance technological advancement with appropriate supervision. He cautioned that excessive regulation might result in the United States losing ground to China in artificial intelligence development.
Additional participants may include Google CEO Sundar Pichai and Elon Musk, who leads SpaceX and has AI ventures.
The papal intervention introduces another significant perspective to the international discussion regarding appropriate levels of government supervision for AI advancement.
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