Pope Leo XIV has published a 42,000-word encyclical calling for the "disarming" of AI through globally coordinated regulation, warning about risks of mass unemployment and AI-powered warfare. The pontiff argues that AI should be freed from the "mentality of armed competition" that drives dangerous algorithm races. Despite these moral appeals, tech companies and governments continue pursuing AI advancement at breakneck speed.

The regulatory landscape remains fragmented. US officials cancelled an executive order for AI model reviews to maintain competitiveness with China and Europe softened its landmark AI Act requirements following industrial lobbying. China's AI breakthroughs with models like DeepSeek have added urgency to American strategy, while Beijing vows to build on its progress toward global AI leadership in its new five-year plan.

Even AI companies expressing safety concerns acknowledge the relentless logic of the arms race. Anthropic, founded by OpenAI employees worried about safety, supports regulation but admits that if democratic countries slow development, authoritarian nations would continue advancing. The glittering prize of AI power makes international coordination to restrain development seem an increasingly unlikely prospect.