Pope Leo Warns Over AI As MIT Researcher Finds 90% Probability Of 'Existential Threat'

Pope Leo XIV, in his first address, highlighted artificial intelligence as a crucial issue for humanity, echoing concerns about human dignity, justice, and labor. He connected this to the Church's social teaching, drawing parallels to Leo XIII's encyclical Rerum Novarum. Leo XIV's concerns mirror the late Pope Francis's warnings about unregulated AI development. Francis emphasized the need for an international treaty to ensure human-centric AI development. MIT physicist Max Tegmark compares the development of superintelligence to the dawn of the atomic age, highlighting the potential for existential threat. Tegmark proposes calculating a "Compton constant" to assess the probability of losing control of AI systems. His research estimates a 90% probability of a highly advanced AI posing an existential threat. He advocates for rigorous risk assessments by AI companies, similar to those before the first atomic bomb tests. Tegmark co-authored the Singapore Consensus, focusing on measuring AI's impact, defining behavior, and ensuring control. Despite setbacks, international cooperation on AI safety is reportedly regaining momentum after a recent summit. Tegmark believes this renewed focus is crucial for global safety regimes.