Vatican diplomat rues AI integration into nuclear weapons amid rising rhetoric (Holy See Mission)

Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis, the Holy See's permanent observer to the United Nations, warned that integrating artificial intelligence into nuclear systems increases the risk of war and error. Speaking at a UN meeting on September 29, the apostolic nuncio stated that these technologies compress decision-making timelines and introduce opacity, which may lead to miscalculations and place excessive pressure on human judgment.

El-Kassis also expressed concern regarding the increasing use of nuclear rhetoric in strategic doctrines and the weakening of long-standing arms control and disarmament frameworks. He reaffirmed the Holy See's support for the 1996 Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty and the 2017 Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, noting that the United States and other major nuclear powers have not joined these agreements.