As warnings of failed AI control mount, even the Pope calls for solutions

Failure to control AI could spell the end of humanity. As such warnings from preeminent scholars mount, Pope Leo XIV has added his voice, calling for serious measures to address the threats posed by AI.

In a joint paper, 22 researchers at the University of Cambridge pointed out that AI systems are increasingly improving themselves without human intervention, and at an accelerating pace. They analyzed that a so-called 'intelligence explosion' could occur—where development that would normally take years is completed in months—and that if humanity loses control of AI as a result, its very existence could be at risk.

The warnings have spread beyond academia to entrepreneurs and religious leaders. Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, compared the emergence of AI to the arrival of an alien species smarter than humans, cautioning against complacency. Pope Leo XIV noted, "Simply closing our eyes and pretending such a thing won't happen is not a responsible attitude," urging a serious search for solutions to the AI threat.

Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, who received the Van Fleet Award for his contributions to U.S.-Korea relations, pushed back, saying, "AI is not going to run away" and "There seems to be a belief that we should slow down development to improve safety, but that is not true."