More than 200 participants in Rome closed the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly by signing a declaration urging disarmament and safeguards on AI, nuclear and autonomous weapons.
The document frames AI and nuclear risks as converging existential threats and says decisions on war, peace and human survival must remain under meaningful human control.
David Gross warned the nuclear danger is greater than 30 years ago, citing the collapse of arms-control treaties and an accelerated arms race among 9 nuclear-armed states.
The Vatican-backed gathering, inspired by Pope Leo XIV’s Magnifica humanitas, cast the declaration as a moral call to align fast-moving technology with human dignity and peace.
With AI's power held by private firms, can global declarations truly protect human dignity over profit and national security?
Is keeping emotional humans in control of war decisions always safer than relying on faster, more logical AI?
Could a ban on autonomous weapons actually make the world less safe by creating a dangerous strategic imbalance?
The Rome Declaration 2026: Nobel Laureates Call for Human Control Over AI and Nuclear Weapons Amid Rising Global Risks
Overview
The Global Nobel Laureates Assembly on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear War convened in Rome from July 14-16, 2026, at a time of international conflict and nuclear instability. This critical gathering was profoundly inspired by Pope Leo XIV’s new encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, which is dedicated to protecting the human person in the age of artificial intelligence. Guided by the Pope’s vision of an 'unarmed and disarming peace'—a principle rooted in shared religious values—the assembly brought together global leaders to address urgent risks and culminated in a declaration calling for responsible human control over AI and nuclear technologies.