Macron and Pope Leo XIV Unite on AI Risks and Nuclear Weapons
- On Friday, French President Emmanuel Macron welcomed Pope Leo XIV to the Palace, marking the first official state visit by a pope in 18 years as the pontiff began a four-day visit to France.
- Unlike Francis, who refused state visits during his 12-year pontificate, Leo seeks to engage France despite the Catholic Church's declining influence there. Macron, facing record low approval ratings with seven months left in office, views the visit as a capstone.
- Warning that a "paradise of machines" risks undermining humanity, Pope Leo XIV urged AI developers to ensure technology remains "a tool for human beings" rather than displacing them. He emphasized ethical discernment as essential.
- Addressing wars in Europe and the Middle East, the pontiff reaffirmed the Vatican's opposition to nuclear weapons, declaring the deterrence doctrine "mistaken." He stated, "Peace is not a balance of power; rather, it is built day by day through dialogue and justice."
- Seeking to push the church's message on human dignity, Leo reminded The French of their "deep Christian roots" and called the right to life the "indispensable foundation of every other human right," challenging recent French legislation on abortion and end-of-life care.
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The visit of a pontiff to the country after 18 years reaffirms the centrality of Europe for the Church. Peace and defense of life at the center of its message
Macron and Pope Leo XIV unite on AI risks and nuclear weapons
The French leader called on international oversight to ensure the most advanced systems mankind has ever created, are not controlled by a small number of powerful actors, or get used as instruments to oppress people.
Pope Leo XIV was received on Friday by France's President Emmanuel Macron. In his speech, he called on politicians, among other things, for nuclear disarmament and for greater protection of life (see video above). France's government had allowed active euthanasia and accompanied suicide for severely ill people in July.
The Holy Father issued a stern warning about the dangers of atomic rearmament.
Pope Leo XIV, during his visit to France, called on Paris to promote dialogue and diplomacy in the world, as it faces a new stage in the arms race, reports to the French media. "The mistaken belief that the possession of nuclear weapons is a guarantee of security is increasingly spreading.
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