Pope Leo XIV Warns AI in Warfare Risks Global 'Spiral of Annihilation'

Pope Leo XIV delivered a stark warning against the militarization of artificial intelligence on Thursday, declaring that investments in AI-driven weaponry are propelling the world toward a ‘spiral of annihilation.’

His address at Rome’s La Sapienza University marked the first papal visit to the campus since Pope Benedict XVI canceled a planned speech there in 2008 amid protests from faculty and students.

The American pope received a warm welcome, including from a group of newly arrived students: young Palestinians who traveled to Italy this week via a ‘humanitarian corridor’ from Gaza to resume their studies at the university. Since the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza began in 2023, the Italian government, in partnership with Catholic organizations, has facilitated the relocation of hundreds of Palestinians to Italy for education and medical treatment.

Leo met some of these Gaza students during a brief greeting at the campus chapel and again after his speech in the university’s main lecture hall—a facility founded by Pope Boniface VIII in 1303.

Pope Criticizes Military Spending Over Social Investments

In his speech, Leo condemned the dramatic rise in military spending across Europe this year, arguing that it has come at the expense of education and healthcare while ‘enriching elites who care nothing for the common good.’

He emphasized the need for stricter oversight of AI development and deployment in both military and civilian spheres, warning that unchecked innovation could ‘absolve humans of responsibility for their choices’ and worsen global conflicts.

“What is happening in Ukraine, in Gaza and the Palestinian territories, in Lebanon, and in Iran illustrates the inhuman evolution of the relationship between war and new technologies in a spiral of annihilation.”

The pope urged a shift toward educational and research priorities that prioritize human life, declaring, “The lives of peoples who cry out for peace and justice!”

AI and Warfare: A Defining Issue of Our Time

Leo has repeatedly highlighted AI as one of humanity’s most pressing challenges, particularly its use in warfare and daily life. These themes are expected to feature prominently in his first papal encyclical, slated for release in the coming weeks.

Student’s Hope Amidst War’s Devastation

Nada Rahim Jouda, 19, a Gazan student who met the pope just two days after arriving in Italy, shared her reflections on her new life in Rome.

“Everything here is green and it’s not gray and troubles everywhere and miserable people in the streets.”

Yet Jouda’s optimism is tempered by concern for her family, who remain in Gaza: her mother, battling leukemia, and her younger sisters, aged 17 and 13. Due to the war, the family has been displaced four times, and her mother has been unable to access critical cancer treatment.

“They all rely on me. I’m the only hope that they have.”