WASHINGTON (OSV News) – The same week President Donald Trump sought to push for the rapid development of artificial intelligence, or AI, and data centers, Pope Leo XIV said safety concerns about the technology should be taken seriously.
After meeting with tech executives at the White House, Trump said they agreed Sept. 29 to establish voluntary safety standards for AI, including allowing independent auditors to assess the technology.
"It's almost like a constitution, in a way," Trump said of the agreement. "And the biggest people in the world signed that, and I signed it as president. And it really is a form of protection."
Trump also signed an executive order the same day directing federal agencies to use his preferred name for AI, "superintelligence."
The meeting, and the president's rebrand of AI, came as polls show voters are concerned about the development of AI, even while economic issues still lead their concerns.
An Oct. 1 poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research found just 31% of U.S. adults approve of Trump's handling of AI. That same poll found that 65% of adults also said higher-than-usual prices are the result of Trump’s policies.
Several Republican candidates have broken with Trump's call for the expansion of data centers, as polls show voters are wary.
But Trump thus far has been undeterred. He told Time in an interview published Oct. 1, "I'm not going to kill a thing based on phony threats."
Pope Leo XIV’s first encyclical, "Magnifica Humanitas: On Safeguarding the Human Person in the Time of Artificial Intelligence," published in May, addressed a number of human dignity concerns posed by AI and called for the technology to be "regulated in such a way" as to respect human dignity concerns.
Asked by a journalist on the return flight to Rome from his four-day visit to France Sept. 28, if he was worried that AI could pose catastrophic risks to humanity, Pope Leo replied, "If someone were to ask me, am I in panic mode? No, I’m not. I sleep at night."
But, without naming Trump, Pope Leo also said, "I do think that the concerns raised by many of the experts, specialists in AI, should be taken seriously. I don’t think that is fake news, as some have said, to try and cause ... financial or some other kind of benefit."
Trump has called concerns about AI going rogue a "hoax," and has argued overly restricting the technology could leave the U.S. playing catch up with China.
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops recently announced a new task force to engage with tech leaders and lawmakers to discuss their concerns about AI, human dignity and online child safety. More than a dozen U.S. bishops met with members of Congress on Sept. 16 to urge lawmakers to enact safety guardrails, such as the Kids Online Safety Act (S. 1748).
The House passed a version of legislation earlier this year, but the Senate’s version includes a "duty of care" provision that was not included in the House bill. The White House has negotiated with senators on their version of the bill, but the Senate has since adjourned until after the November elections, leaving the path forward for the bill unclear.
