On June 14, 2024, Pope Francis hosted over 100 comedians from 15 nations at the Vatican, including notable U.S. figures like Whoopi Goldberg, Jimmy Fallon, Chris Rock, Stephen Colbert, and Conan O’Brien. In his address, Pope Francis emphasized the significance of humor in spreading peace and smiles, even suggesting it was acceptable to "laugh at God" as a gesture of affection.
The same day, Pope Francis made history by becoming the first pontiff to address the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Puglia, Italy. He warned world leaders about the ethical implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI), advocating for strict oversight to ensure AI benefits humanity and does not operate at the expense of human dignity. He stressed that decisions about human lives should never be left to machines. Pope Francis' speech added a significant ethical dimension to the summit discussions, which also included topics like migration, climate change, and the economic security of developing nations.