Pope Leo XIV calls on world leaders to slow down AI development over misinformation and conflict risks

Pope Leo XIV has issued a public warning about the pace of artificial intelligence development, urging global leaders and institutions to decelerate adoption before the technology outstrips humanity's ability to govern it. Speaking through Reuters, the pontiff cited misinformation, escalating conflict, and the prospect of endless war as the most pressing dangers.

The statement marks one of the most prominent interventions from a religious leader on AI governance to date. While the Vatican has no regulatory authority, papal pronouncements carry significant soft-power weight across more than a billion Catholics and tend to amplify existing pressure on policymakers already debating AI oversight frameworks in the EU, the US, and at the UN level.