Pope Leo XIV warns AI could fuel conflict and fear, criticising environmental and social costs, during a Cameroon tour marked by a public dispute with former US President Donald Trump.
DOUALA: Pope Leo XIV has issued a stark warning that the artificial intelligence boom risks fuelling “conflict, fear and violence”.
His latest caution came during a landmark trip to Cameroon, a visit underscored by his ongoing public spat with former US President Donald Trump.
The pontiff addressed teachers and students at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaounde. He stated the challenge is “not just about the use of new technologies, but about the gradual replacement of reality by its simulation”.
“In this way, polarisation, conflict, fear and violence spread,” the Pope said. He warned the stakes involve “a transformation in our very relationship with truth.”
His intervention follows a backlash against Trump over a now-deleted AI-generated post. The image seemingly depicted the former US leader as a Christ-like figure, drawing accusations of blasphemy from religious leaders.
Trump had earlier lashed out at Pope Leo, branding him “weak on crime and terrible for foreign policy”. This came after the pontiff criticised the US-Israeli war with Iran during his 11-day Africa tour.
The Pope’s trip has seen him deliver impassioned pleas for world peace. He recently denounced the “handful of tyrants” ravaging the world in a speech on Thursday.
Trump responded by saying the pope needed to understand the realities of a “nasty world”. The Pope has ignored calls from US Catholic Vice President JD Vance to “stick to matters of morality”.
In his AI speech, Leo also condemned the “environmental devastation” from mining rare earths. He demanded an end to foreign powers reaping Africa’s mining riches while locals suffer.
This critique touches a cornerstone of the Trump administration’s past approach to Africa. China is a foremost foreign power in the continent’s mining sector.
The Pope spoke after holding Mass for over 120,000 worshippers in Douala’s stifling heat. Adoring crowds waved Vatican flags and chanted “Long live the pope!” as he arrived in a popemobile.
Some worshippers, like 72-year-old Marguerite Tedga, had waited all night to see him. “It’s the achievement of a Christian lifetime,” she said.
The visit occurs in a nation ruled by President Paul Biya since 1982. Some Catholics feared the trip could burnish the image of the 93-year-old leader, the world’s oldest head of state.
Douala saw a violent crackdown on protests after Biya’s re-election last October. Witnesses reported security forces firing live rounds, with authorities acknowledging dozens of deaths.
Upon arrival, the Pope urged Cameroon’s leaders to root out corruption and abuses. He made these remarks within earshot of President Biya during a welcome ceremony.
The Catholic Church plays a major social role in Cameroon, where over a third of the 30 million population are Catholic. Pope Leo wraps up his Cameroon visit with a Mass early Saturday.
His tour previously included Muslim-majority Algeria, a visit marred by two suicide bombings. He heads next to Angola before concluding his 18,000-kilometre tour in Equatorial Guinea.
