As the US and China race on AI, the Vatican presses for global safeguards

Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to give a keynote address at UNESCO headquarters in Paris on Friday, Sept. 25, for a day of reflection on artificial intelligence, education and peace. This visit marks the first papal visit to the organization in more than four decades.

The visit follows a Washington summit between Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping on Thursday, where the leaders are expected to discuss trade and potential shared AI guardrails. While Xi has publicly endorsed international cooperation on AI safeguards, Trump has resisted, dismissing catastrophic warnings as a hoax.

Pope Leo XIV has pressed both powers to accept international safeguards on the technology as the United States and China race for artificial intelligence supremacy. The Vatican is positioning itself as a moral convener and a potential bridge between the rival superpowers through formal diplomacy and a Catholic network.