The future of AI regulation is courting the strangest, most anxious bedfellows
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- Pope Leo XIV released the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas outlining Catholic doctrine on artificial intelligence.
- Washington AI Network hosted a black‑tie gala at the Waldorf Astoria with AI lobbyists, safety nonprofits, tech reps, journalists, Kevin O'Leary, officials Mehmet Oz and Darío Gil, and Archbishop Gabriele Caccia.
- Trump signed an executive order creating a government review board for unreleased advanced AI models, imposing a 30‑day maximum release delay after lobbying by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent.
- Molly White’s Tech Influence Watch tracks AI industry political spending, noting overlapping donors with crypto and a shared goal of deregulating tech and reducing consumer protections.
- Tech industry faces uncertainty over AI regulation due to unpredictable election outcomes and potential shifts in House and Senate control.
- Archbishop Gabriele Caccia delivered remarks on the Pope’s AI message at the gala, but they were largely ignored amid networking and cutlery noise.
Why it matters: Tech firms get a faster regulatory path with the 30‑day review limit, while the Vatican’s human‑first AI warning is drowned out, and coordinated lobbying aims to cut consumer safeguards—boosting industry profits but risking public protection. The short window still permits rapid model releases, leaving users exposed to unchecked AI risks.
