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

Pope Leo XIV denounced how investments in artificial intelligence and high-tech weaponry were leading the world into a “spiral of annihilation” on Thursday, as he called for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine during a visit to Europe’s largest university.

The pontiff’s speech at Rome’s La Sapienza University marked the first time a pope has visited the campus since Pope Benedict XVI called off a planned speech there in 2008 in the face of protests from faculty and students.

The American pope was warmly welcomed on Thursday, including by some of Sapienza’s newest students: Young Palestinians who arrived in Italy this week on a “humanitarian corridor” from Gaza to continue their studies at the university.

The Italian government, working with Catholic organisations, has brought hundreds of Palestinians to study and receive medical care in Italy since the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza began in 2023.