Vatican Hosts Global Summit of Nobel Laureates, AI Experts and Former Leaders to Draft Rome Declaration on Disarmament and AI Governance

From July 14‑16, 2026, the serene Borgo Laudato si’ gardens of Castel Gandolfo and the historic Capitoline Hill became the backdrop for a gathering that could reshape the world’s approach to weapons and technology. More than 200 participants—including 30 Nobel laureates, former heads of state, 20 leading AI researchers from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, AARU, Anthropic, and delegates from 30 of the globe’s most prestigious universities—met under the Vatican’s auspices to forge a new vision for peace.

The summit was born from Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica humanitas, which urges the protection of human dignity amid the rise of artificial intelligence. The Pope’s call echoes a world increasingly fraught with geopolitical tension, a tangled nuclear order, and the rapid emergence of autonomous weapons. By convening science, technology, and policy leaders, the Vatican aimed to create a forum where ideas could cross the usual boundaries of discipline and nation.

Among the assembled were the Nobel Laureates Assembly for the Prevention of Nuclear War, the Nobel Women’s Initiative, the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War, the Pugwash Conferences, the Yunus Centre, the Catholic University of America, the University of Chicago Existential Risk Laboratory, Harvard Medical School, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, the University of Notre Dame, the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, and Soka Gakkai International. The Domus Communis Foundation acted as the General Secretariat, ensuring the proceedings ran smoothly.

The academic contingent boasted names such as Harvard, Stanford, Columbia, Princeton, UC Berkeley, the Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Oxford, Manchester, Collège de France, Université Paris 1 Panthéon‑Sorbonne, Tsinghua, Queen’s, Simon Fraser, the Australian National University, Antwerp, St Patrick’s Pontifical University, Rome’s “Tor Vergata,” the Balseiro Institute, USC, and Università Telematica Internazionale UniNettuno.

Over three days, participants engaged in a “conclave‑style” dialogue, tackling the governance of emerging technologies, the risks posed by nuclear and autonomous weapons, the role of AI in international security, and the possibility of an economy built around peace. The conversations were guided by a shared goal: to identify principles that could steer policy and practice in an age of rapid technological change.

The summit’s crowning achievement is the Rome Declaration for a Disarmed and Disarming Peace in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Nuclear and Autonomous Weapons, New Digital Protocols, and Emerging Models of Digital Development. The declaration, to be unveiled on July 16 at the Capitoline Hill, sets out principles aimed at fostering cooperation, safeguarding human dignity, and promoting integral human development.

While the declaration has not yet been formally adopted, the conclusion of the summit marks a pivotal moment. Participants have committed to refining the document’s provisions and seeking endorsement from governments and international bodies, turning the Pope’s vision for a “disarmed and disarming peace” into actionable policy.

The Vatican’s role in orchestrating this event underscores its enduring engagement with contemporary global challenges. By bringing together scientists, technologists, former leaders, and policy experts, the assembly demonstrates a willingness to translate lofty ideals into concrete steps that could shape the future of humanity.

In a world where the line between technological progress and existential risk grows ever thinner, the Rome Declaration offers a hopeful blueprint. Its success will hinge on the continued collaboration of the diverse voices that gathered in Rome—a testament to the power of dialogue when guided by shared humanity.