Vatican adviser warns of 'cartel-like' behavior among top AI labs

Paolo Benanti, an adviser on AI to the Vatican, told Wired that concerns over existential risks from advanced AI are overshadowing more immediate governance issues. He argued that major AI labs are behaving like a cartel, coordinating messaging and priorities in ways that limit broader public input into how the technology is developed and regulated.

Benanti said the focus on hypothetical doomsday scenarios distracts from practical questions about accountability, transparency and who gets a say in AI's rollout. He called for wider public debate involving governments, civil society and religious institutions, not just tech companies, in shaping AI policy.