To genuinely shape AI's trajectory beyond rhetoric, the Catholic Church should establish its own technical research lab. This would allow it to develop alignment techniques based on its theological priors, benchmark against secular labs, and influence technology at the core architectural level, not just surface applications.

The Vatican's engagement with AI highlights a key use case for sovereign models: ensuring technology aligns with deep-seated institutional values. The goal is to prevent an AI from adopting the generic values of a frontier model, instead reflecting the specific ethical principles of the organization it represents.

India is leveraging its upcoming AI Impact Summit to establish itself as the voice for the Global South in AI policy. By championing inclusive AI and showcasing successful development applications in healthcare and agriculture, India aims to create an alternative to the Western-centric AI narrative.

Communicating AI's implications to church leaders, who are primarily philosophers and theologians, requires a translation layer. This "middleware" bridges the gap between their worldview and the technical realities of AI, enabling better understanding and guidance.

With no major Western country establishing comprehensive AI policy, the Vatican is filling the void. It has set its own national AI rules and, given its neutral moral standing, is positioning itself as a global referee for what is real versus fake.

Christopher Olah's presence at the Vatican's AI event was the result of a ten-year effort to engage Silicon Valley. OpenAI was chosen for taking the Vatican's ethical questions seriously, a decision solidified after what was described as a courageous stand during a "dust up with the Pentagon."

A common argument against an AI development pause is that China wouldn't agree. However, since China is currently behind in the AI race, a pause is strategically beneficial for them as it stops the leader from extending their lead. This counterintuitive point suggests a pause is more geopolitically feasible than often assumed.

Pope Leo twice declared AI the "greatest new challenge facing humanity," prioritizing it over other major global issues like climate change, poverty, or war. This striking focus signals a significant institutional bet by the Catholic Church on AI's world-shaping impact, analogous to the Industrial Revolution.

The Pope's call to "disarm AI" is not limited to autonomous weapons. It broadly critiques the "mentality of armed competition" driving the race for geopolitical and commercial dominance, challenging the assumption that technical superiority confers the right to govern societies or industries.