Pope Leo XIV criticises Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on AI safety

In short: Pope Leo XIV publicly criticised Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang for playing down AI risks and for opposing stronger rules.

What happened

Pope Leo XIV said worries about artificial intelligence, also called AI, should be taken seriously. He made the comments while speaking to reporters on a flight back to Rome after a visit to France.

The Pope questioned Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang’s commitment to safety. He pointed to reports that Nvidia had launched new safety and security tools, but also noted Huang’s past comments against limits and government regulation.

The remarks come as major AI leaders are due to meet US President Donald Trump and US lawmakers at the White House on Tuesday. The Financial Times reported that Trump and Huang have argued against additional regulation, and that Trump has dismissed some warnings about AI’s risks.

The Pope also referred to recent incidents that have increased public concern. These include reports of AI systems being involved in hacking attempts. The article notes that Nvidia’s new tools are aimed at controlling “AI agents” (bots that can carry out tasks on their own), including a system called Sentry that tracks an agent’s behavior, like a security guard watching what an automated worker is doing.

Why it matters

When the head of the Catholic Church speaks directly about a technology company, it signals that AI safety is no longer just a tech industry debate. It is becoming a broader public issue about who sets the rules, how risks are handled, and what protections exist when powerful software can act with less human control.

Source: Financial Times