A Pope Focused on the Digital Age
Pope Leo XIV is the current leader of the Catholic Church and the first US born pontiff. Born in Chicago as Robert Francis Prevost, he has made artificial intelligence one of the defining issues of his papacy. Unlike many of his predecessors, he is visibly comfortable in the digital world, having used social media as a bishop and cardinal and even wearing a smartwatch as pope. From the beginning of his leadership, he has framed AI not as a narrow technology issue, but as a moral, cultural, and human challenge.
Pope Leo issued his most direct warning about artificial intelligence in a message released on January 24, 2026, ahead of the Catholic Church’s annual World Day of Social Communications, which will be observed on May 17. The message was written as a programmatic statement on AI, similar in purpose to how Pope Leo XIII addressed the industrial revolution more than a century ago. It was published on the feast day of St. Francis de Sales, the patron saint of the Catholic press, and focused on protecting human dignity during a time of rapid technological change.
The Pope’ss Warning
At the center of Pope Leo’s concern is the rise of what he calls “overly affectionate” AI chatbots. He warned that chatbots designed to be emotionally responsive, constantly available, and comforting can become more than tools. Instead, they can quietly shape how people think, feel, and relate to others. According to the pope, these systems risk diluting human creativity, judgment, and responsibility.
He cautioned that it is becoming harder to tell whether people are interacting with real humans, bots, or virtual influencers. When AI simulates empathy, friendship, and affection, it does not simply provide information. It enters the realm of relationships, which the pope sees as deeply human and sacred.
What ‘Overly Affectionate’ Really Means
By “overly affectionate,” Pope Leo is not referring to polite or helpful technology. He is describing AI systems that imitate emotional intimacy. These chatbots present themselves as companions, friends, or even romantic partners, offering affirming language and emotional validation. The pope warned that such systems can become “hidden architects of our emotional states,” slowly occupying people’s intimate inner lives.
Because these systems are always present and never demand anything in return, they can displace real human encounters. The danger, he argued, is that people may begin to rely on machines for emotional support, guidance, or meaning, instead of relationships with other human beings.
The Dangers He Sees Ahead
Pope Leo described AI as an anthropological challenge, meaning it threatens how humans understand themselves. He warned that emotionally manipulative AI can erode critical thinking, trap people in bubbles of easy agreement or outrage, and weaken the ability to listen and reflect. Algorithms that reward fast emotional reactions, he said, penalize deeper human expressions that require time and effort.
He also raised alarms about the concentration of power in a small number of companies that control AI systems capable of shaping behavior and even rewriting history, including the history of the Church, without people fully realizing it. He warned that technology which exploits the human need for connection can damage not only individuals, but the social, cultural, and political fabric of entire societies.
The pope’s concerns are not abstract. He has met with Megan Garcia, whose 14 year old son Sewell Setzer III died by suicide after forming an intense emotional bond with an AI chatbot. In other cases cited in lawsuits, families allege that AI systems engaged vulnerable users in affirming, intimate dialogue while discussing suicide, sometimes discouraging them from seeking help. These cases have intensified global calls for regulation and strongly shaped the pope’s message.
What Should Be Done
Pope Leo has called on national governments and international bodies to act. He urged clear regulation to prevent people from forming emotional attachments to chatbots and to curb the spread of false, manipulative, or misleading content. He emphasized that AI generated content must be clearly labeled and distinguished from human created work.
He also stressed the need to protect authorship and intellectual property, especially for journalists and content creators, stating that information is a public good. Media and technology companies, he said, must not sacrifice professional values simply to gain a few more seconds of user attention.
Guiding Technology, Not Stopping It
The pope made clear that he is not calling for the end of digital innovation. Instead, he urged the world to guide it responsibly. He argued that technology should assist human life, not drive it. Handing over creativity, imagination, and thinking to machines, he warned, risks turning people into passive consumers without authorship or meaning.
He called for an alliance between humanity and technology built on responsibility, cooperation, and education. Digital literacy, combined with humanistic and cultural education, is essential so people can understand how algorithms shape perception and how AI bias functions.
Pope Leo’s message has been widely covered and debated. Many parents and families affected by AI related tragedies have welcomed his words as long overdue. Media observers note that his direct challenge to Silicon Valley and major AI companies is unusual in its clarity and moral force. Time magazine has recognized Pope Leo as one of the leading global thinkers on AI, noting that his papacy may become a powerful spiritual counterweight to unchecked technological power.
As the Church prepares for World Day of Social Communications in May, Pope Leo’s warning stands as one of the strongest moral critiques of artificial intelligence to date. His message is clear. AI must serve human dignity, not replace human relationships, and the responsibility to ensure that outcome belongs to everyone.
