Pope Leo XIV said concerns that artificial intelligence could pose serious risks to humanity should not be dismissed as “fake news,” directly challenging Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s opposition to new AI regulations.

The pope made the comments Monday aboard the papal flight returning to Rome after a four-day trip to France. Speaking with reporters, he addressed growing concerns about AI and its potential risks to society.

“I don’t think that that is fake news, as some have said,” Pope Leo told journalists.

The remark appeared to respond to President Donald Trump, who told the United Nations General Assembly last week that fears about AI destroying humanity were a “hoax.”

On his return flight from France, Pope Leo XIV was asked whether he was worried that AI could pose catastrophic risks to humanity or even wipe it out entirely. His response was shared by Catholic Sat on X:

On his return flight from France, Pope Leo XIV is asked if he is "worried are you that AI could pose catastrophic risks to humanity or even wipe it out entirely", to which he responds: "If someone were to ask me, am I in panic mode? No, I'm not. I sleep at night. I do think that… — Catholic Sat (@CatholicSat) September 28, 2026

The post is available at https://x.com/CatholicSat/status/2104674767877873878?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw.

Pope Questions Nvidia’s Position on Regulation

Pope Leo also referred to recent news about Nvidia. The company announced a system called “Sentry,” designed to monitor AI agents running on its chips.

He questioned why Nvidia would develop safety tools for its products while its chief executive argues against government rules.

“It’s interesting to note that, just today, I read that the head of Nvidia claims that he has found some way of inserting into AI certain guardrails,” Pope Leo said.

He added that the same executive had said there should be no limits on AI and no government regulation.

Huang has said companies should be responsible for their own AI safety measures and has argued that new laws are unnecessary.

“The market forces are already there. We don’t need any new laws. We don’t need new regulations,” Huang said earlier this month.

Huang also told CBS News this month that he agreed with Trump’s view that concerns about AI safety had been exaggerated.

The exchange reflects a central divide in the AI policy debate: whether safeguards should primarily be developed voluntarily by technology companies or required through government regulation.

Wider AI Safety Debate Continues

Pope Leo has discussed AI risks throughout his 16-month papacy. He is the first pope from the United States.

He has said the goal should be to prevent AI from reaching a point at which it could destroy humanity. He has called for continued dialogue, study and investigation into the technology.

“We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing’s going to happen,” the pope said.

Other AI industry leaders have also called for stronger safeguards. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei have both spoken about the need for international cooperation on AI rules.

Trump is scheduled to meet with technology executives at the White House on Tuesday to discuss AI. Huang, Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg, Amodei and OpenAI President Greg Brockman are expected to attend.

House Speaker Mike Johnson said the meeting would focus on balancing innovation with oversight. He warned that excessive regulation could cause the United States to fall behind China in the AI race.

Google CEO Sundar Pichai and SpaceX and AI executive Elon Musk may also attend the White House meeting.

Pope Leo’s comments add another voice to the global debate over the appropriate level of government oversight for AI development. The original report was published by CoinCentral, with related reporting available from Reuters.