Pope decries the rise of AI-directed warfare, saying it leads to a spiral of annihilation
Source: AP
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday denounced how investments in artificial intelligence and high-tech weaponry were leading the world into a “spiral of annihilation,” as he called for peace in the Middle East and Ukraine during a visit to Europe’s largest university.
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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 organizations, has brought hundreds of Palestinians to study and receive medical care in Italy since the Israeli war against Hamas in Gaza began in 2023.
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In his speech, Leo denounced how military spending had increased dramatically this year, especially in Europe, at the expense of education and healthcare, while “enriching elites who care nothing for the common good.”
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“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,” he said.
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Read more: https://apnews.com/article/pope-ai-artificial-intelligence-iran-mideast-gaza-171df0329f7b6645124900c1e038c1f6
Please note - this story is separate from the story about the upcoming papal encyclical: https://www.democraticunderground.com/10143664774 .
I'm glad Leo met with some of the students from Gaza.
LA Times article from last week:
Inside Israel’s AI targeting system: How data from a phone become a death sentence
https://www.latimes.com/world-nation/story/2026-05-04/inside-israels-ai-targeting-system-how-data-from-phone-become-death-sentence
= new reply since forum marked as read
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