China says it firmly opposes the U.S. adding several prominent Chinese businesses to its list of military-linked companies. The Pentagon on Monday included companies like BYD, Alibaba and Baidu to the list of firms that it deems to have ties with the Chinese military, preventing them from landing U.S. defense contracts. A Chinese Ministry of Commerce spokesperson said the move ignores the consensus reached during U.S. President Donald Trump's summit with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in Beijing last month. Alibaba, BYD and Baidu had previously stated there's no basis for their inclusion on the list.

Pope Leo XIV has called for robust regulation of artificial intelligence and for its developers to work for the common good rather than profit. He made the call in a sweeping manifesto on safeguarding humankind as the technology impacts everything from work to war. Leo’s first encyclical is called “Magnifica Humanitas” (Magnificent Humanity). Its release Monday has been eagerly awaited ever since history’s first U.S.-born pope announced days after his election that he considered AI to be the biggest challenge facing humanity today.