Pope Leo XIV reignites Donald Trump feud with grave warning about the future of AI
An unlikely rivalry has emerged from Washington, D.C., as President Donald Trump has once again caused Pope Leo XIV to speak out. It's president versus pope in 2026, as two of the world's most powerful men lock horns over artificial intelligence.
While this wouldn't be the first time Donald Trump and Pope Leo XIV have made their feelings about AI clear, by the sound of it, neither is backing down anytime soon.
It's no secret that the POTUS is a big fan of AI, and when not throwing hundreds of billions of dollars at deals, he's sharing AI clips of him dumping feces on protestors, posting (and deleting) videos of the Obamas, and fictional attacks on Iran's Kharg Island.
Experts have already shared concerns about the president's use of AI, and even though the man himself is quick to dismiss the apparent risks of AI, Pope Leo XIV is once again issuing a warning.
What has Pope Leo XIV said about AI?
Advert
The latest war of the words comes in the aftermath of Trump declaring that artificial intelligence should be renamed to 'super intelligence'. According to the Associated Press, Pope Leo XIV spoke aboard the papal plane and claimed that Trump branding recent AI concerns as 'fake news' shouldn't be taken lightly.
Responding to Trump's latest outbursts, the Pope said: "This is a problem that, I think, we need to sit down and talk about. We can’t just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen.”
He's previously clashed with Trump and said he has 'no fear' of the current administration, whereas the president has branded the leader of the Catholic Church as a 'weak man'.
This isn't the first time Trump has collided with the Catholic Church over AI in 2026, as you might remember when he shared an AI picture that appeared to depict him as Jesus Christ.
Pope Leo XIV opened up further about his own reservations about AI, continuing: "If someone were to ask me ‘Am I in panic mode?’ No I’m not. I sleep at night. I do think that the concerns raised by many of the experts, specialists in AI should be taken seriously."
Seeming to take specific aim at Donald Trump, the pope concluded: "I don’t think that that is ‘fake news’ as some have said to try and cause whether financial or some other kind of benefit."
The AI race continues
Trump continues to bang the AI drum, saying that the USA needs to stay ahead of rivals like China. Pope Leo XIV response comes as Trump posted on Truth Social and claimed AI naysayers are spreading a "SICK conspiracy."
The President added: "AI taking over the World, destroying Humanity, and all other things bad, is a HOAX."
Tech leaders like Anthropic's Dario Amodei have pushed back against AI and said there should be greater oversight, especially as a series of hacks have suggested AI could go rogue against its human overlords.
Still, Trump wants things to go full steam ahead, calling himself the 'Hoax Buster'.
Amodei suggested that AI agents could overtake the entire internet within six to 12 months, although a late-night dinner with Trump is hoped to have put him more at ease.
Even as the president tries to woo the likes of Amodei, xAI's Elon Musk, and OpenAI's Sam Altman, it seems Pope Leo XIV might take a little more convincing.