Overview
- The pontiff, speaking at Rome’s Sapienza University on Thursday, condemned surging military budgets and said rearmament should not be labeled “defense.”
- He cited Ukraine, Gaza and the Palestinian territories, Lebanon and Iran to argue that high‑tech weapons and artificial intelligence are driving war in an inhumane direction.
- He called for strict oversight of AI in both military and civilian uses to keep humans responsible for life‑and‑death choices, and urged students and faculty to be “artisans of true peace.”
- He highlighted a university humanitarian corridor from Gaza agreed by Sapienza and the Diocese of Rome, and La Jornada reported he greeted Gazan students who arrived this week through such a program.
- News outlets report his first encyclical, expected to address AI, peace and the state of international law, could be signed Friday with publication later in May.