Pope decries rise of AI-directed warfare, saying it leads to a spiral of annihilation

Published on 14/05/2026 - 14:46 GMT+2

Pope Leo XIV denounced however investments successful artificial quality and high-tech weaponry were starring the satellite into a “spiral of annihilation” connected Thursday, arsenic helium called for bid successful the Middle East and Ukraine during a sojourn to Europe’s largest university.

The pontiff’s code astatine Rome’s La Sapienza University marked the archetypal clip a pope has visited the field since Pope Benedict XVI called disconnected a planned code determination successful 2008 successful the look of protests from module and students.

The American pope was warmly welcomed connected Thursday, including by immoderate of Sapienza’s newest students: Young Palestinians who arrived successful Italy this week connected a “humanitarian corridor” from Gaza to proceed their studies astatine the university.

The Italian government, moving with Catholic organisations, has brought hundreds of Palestinians to survey and person aesculapian attraction successful Italy since the Israel-Hamas warfare successful Gaza began successful 2023.

The pope met immoderate of the Gaza students during a little greeting astatine the field chapel and again aft his code successful the main lecture hallway of the university, which was founded by Pope Boniface VIII successful 1303.

In his speech, Leo denounced however subject spending had accrued dramatically this year, particularly successful Europe, astatine the disbursal of acquisition and healthcare, portion “enriching elites who attraction thing for the communal good.”

He called for amended monitoring of however AI was being developed and utilized successful subject and civilian contexts “so that it does not absolve humans of work for their choices and does not exacerbate the calamity of conflicts.”

“What is happening successful Ukraine, successful Gaza and the Palestinian territories, successful Lebanon, and successful Iran illustrates the inhuman improvement of the narration betwixt warfare and caller technologies successful a spiral of annihilation,” helium said.

The pope said acquisition and probe indispensable determination alternatively successful the other absorption that values beingness “the lives of peoples who outcry retired for bid and justice.”

Pope Leo XIV has identified AI arsenic 1 of the astir captious matters facing humanity, particularly its exertion successful warfare and mundane life.

They are themes he’s expected to research much afloat successful his archetypal encyclical, owed to beryllium released successful the coming weeks.