TECH NEWS – Pope Leo XIV has declared that as long as he serves as the Holy Father, artificial intelligence will never replace the papacy. He described AI as nothing more than an “empty, cold shell,” warning that it could cause great harm to humanity and its core values.
Pope Leo XIV rejected the idea of an AI pope. In an interview with his biographer, Eloise Allen, he said that if anyone should not be represented by an avatar, it would be the pope. Pope Leo XIV, who speaks openly about new technologies, revealed that he had even been asked for permission to create an AI version of himself.
“Someone recently asked for my authorization to create an artificial version of me so that anyone could sign onto a website and have a personal audience with ‘the Pope.’ This AI-driven pope would answer their questions, but I said, ‘I will not authorize that.’ If we automate the whole world, and only a few people have the means not just to survive but to live well and lead meaningful lives, then we are heading toward a huge problem.” – the Pope said.
The Holy Father added that if the Church or others fail to speak up, the digital world could follow its own path, reducing humanity to puppets or pushing it to the margins. He warned that science risks becoming a soulless, empty shell that harms humanity’s essence. The human heart, he said, is at risk of being lost amid the current pace of technological progress.
Pope Leo XIV also explained that he chose his name partly as a tribute to Pope Leo III. The 19th-century pontiff is best remembered for his encyclical Rerum Novarum, which addressed the exploitation of the working class during the Industrial Revolution. In one of his first speeches to cardinals, Pope Leo XIV compared AI to another industrial revolution and expressed concern about the ultra-wealthy investors who see opportunity in AI while disregarding human values.
He emphasized that he is not opposed to progress or new technologies but fundamentally disagrees with the direction things are taking. He is prepared to challenge big tech companies, and his recent comments echo his earlier warnings.
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