Pope Leo XIV warns generative AI risks usurping human identity, deepening polarisation and concentrating power in the hands of a few tech companies.
VATICAN CITY: Pope Leo XIV has highlighted the profound risks posed by generative artificial intelligence.
In a message for the World Day of Social Communications, the pontiff warned AI could usurp human identities and relationships.
He stated these systems can influence public opinion and deepen social polarisation.
“The challenge… is a matter of protecting human identity and authentic relationships,” the pope said.
Pope Leo XIV noted that AI algorithms reflect the worldview of their creators.
He cautioned they can shape patterns of thought by reproducing biases embedded in their training data.
His warning comes as generative AI advances rapidly in replicating human-made works.
The technology can now create images, music and text sometimes indistinguishable from human creations.
In 2023, a viral fake AI image depicted his predecessor, Pope Francis, wearing a white puffer jacket.
Since then, generative AI has become a tool for some high-profile figures.
US President Donald Trump has posted or reposted computer-generated images to his online accounts.
Pope Leo XIV warned that significant power over AI development is held by just a few companies.
He said AI tools increase “the difficulty of distinguishing between reality and simulation”.
Since his election last May, the first pope from the United States has consistently warned about AI’s growing influence.
He also criticised systems that present statistical probability as reliable knowledge.
The pontiff argued such tools ultimately offer only approximations of truth.
He said the challenge ahead is to establish effective governance over these technologies.
Pope Leo XIV called for young people to be educated about how algorithms influence perceptions of reality.
Last month, he condemned the accelerating use of AI in military applications.
He warned against delegating life‑and‑death decisions to machines.
