Regulator, The Verge's subscription newsletter on DC tech politics, returns after a two-week hiatus. The piece focuses on how AI regulation is drawing together unusual, anxious political bedfellows in Washington. With the 2026 midterms approaching, AI policy is becoming a surprisingly cross-partisan battleground.
Based on the headline and public reporting, the article covers a rare joint push by Sam Altman, Dario Amodei, Demis Hassabis, and other AI leaders for US biosecurity legislation. They are asking lawmakers to require synthetic DNA and RNA providers to screen customers, orders, and records. The concern is that advanced AI could lower the knowledge barrier for designing dangerous biological agents.
The Vatican released Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical "Magnifica Humanitas," offering a profound ethical framework for the AI era. Drawing parallels to the 19th-century Industrial Revolution, the Pope highlights that modern AI is "cultivated" rather than "built," leaving its inner workings largely opaque. The document warns against cultural biases, simulated human relationships, and the heavy environmental toll of AI infrastructure.
Pope Leo XIV's inaugural encyclical addresses artificial intelligence not merely as a technological shift, but as a lens to critique systemic global issues. The document warns against the extreme concentration of power and wealth within a small tech elite. Ultimately, it frames AI as a threat to democratic institutions and human agency when left unchecked by moral governance.
Pope Leo XIV has issued his first major papal document, "Magnifica Humanitas," focusing on safeguarding humanity in the age of AI. The manifesto warns against the dangers of unconstrained technological power, specifically highlighting the risks of AI-powered warfare and its disruptive effects on labor. The Pope calls for a "profoundly human" approach to navigating these technological shifts.