Pope Leo XIV has expressed concerns about the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on humanity, particularly in discovering the presence of God.
In his first sit-down interview, he revealed that it’s “very difficult to discover the presence of God” in AI, citing the loss of humanity in the digital realm.
The Pope also warned that extremely wealthy individuals are investing in AI while ignoring human values.
Pope Leo XIV emphasized that AI development is happening at an “incredible pace,” which is “worrying.”
He believes the Church needs to speak out about the dangers of technology controlled by wealthy elites without regard for human dignity.
The Pope shared a personal experience where he was the victim of a fake video, highlighting the “great challenge” of fake news and its potential to deceive people.
He noted that people tend to believe false information because it resonates with their desires or biases.
Pope Leo XIV rejected a proposal to create an AI avatar of himself, stating that if anyone shouldn’t be represented by an avatar, it’s the Pope.
He emphasized the importance of genuine human interaction and the risks of reducing human relationships to digital simulations.
The Pope warned that AI could lead to job displacement and exacerbate social inequalities if not developed responsibly.
He emphasized that AI lacks the spiritual and ethical weight of human presence, making it unsuitable for representing the papacy or providing spiritual guidance.
Pope Leo XIV advocates for developing ethical guidelines to govern AI development and ensure it serves humanity’s best interests.