Pope Leo Counters Trump, Says AI Risks Not Fake News

Pope Leo said concerns that artificial intelligence could destroy the world should be treated seriously, rejecting the idea that such warnings are “fake news” in an apparent rebuke of US President Donald Trump.

Pope challenges dismissal of AI risks

The remarks came on Monday, when the pope addressed questions about artificial intelligence and the dangers raised by experts in the field.

“I do think that the concerns raised by many of the experts, specialists in AI, should be taken seriously,” the pontiff said in a press conference on his flight back to Rome after a four-day trip to France.

“I don’t think that that is fake news, as some have said.”

Trump told the UN General Assembly last week that he believed fears about the dangers to humanity from AI were a “hoax”.

Warning against no-guardrail approach

Pope Leo, the first US pope, has warned of the dangers of AI throughout his 16-month papacy.

He also directly criticised technology CEOs who argued there should be no guardrails on the technology.

His comments matter because they placed the pope’s warnings alongside concerns raised by experts and specialists in AI, rather than treating those concerns as exaggerated or false.

The exchange also highlighted a public divide between the pontiff’s call to take AI risks seriously and Trump’s recent dismissal of fears about AI’s dangers to humanity as a “hoax”.

Source: South China Morning Post