Pope Leo XIV has banned the use of AI to create sermons, demonstrating the Vatican's efforts to establish thoughtful AI leadership.
Pope Leo: Technology must serve the human person, not replace it - Vatican News
https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-xiv-messsage-world-day-social-communications-ai-human.html
The pope moves to police AI
https://www.axios.com/2026/04/24/catholics-pope-vatican-artificial-intelligence
Want to Get AI and Cybersecurity Right? Consider Following the Pope's Example
https://www.inc.com/chloe-aiello/want-to-get-ai-and-cybersecurity-right-consider-following-the-popes-example/91335905
In February 2026, Pope Leo XIV instructed priests not to use AI to write sermons or to chase 'likes' on social media platforms like TikTok. Leo XIV stated, 'True preaching is about sharing faith. AI can never share faith.'
Leo XIV, who holds a degree in mathematics from university, has already made his stance on AI clear. In a message released in January 2026, he argued that technology should not replace humans, but rather be useful to them.
In his message, Leo XIV warned that AI systems capable of mimicking human voices, faces, and emotions could alter fundamental aspects of human communication. He also expressed concern that social media algorithms that elicit immediate emotional responses rather than encourage careful consideration could weaken people's ability to listen to others and think critically, thus exacerbating social polarization.
Furthermore, Leo XIV argued that the challenge is not to stop AI, a digital innovation, but to guide it in a way that benefits the public. He stated, 'The task before us is not to stop digital innovation, but to recognize its ambiguous nature and guide it. It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to speak up to protect humanity, and only then can we truly utilize these tools as our allies.'
He also stated, 'No single sector can tackle the challenges of promoting digital innovation and AI governance alone. Therefore, safety measures are necessary. All stakeholders, from the technology industry to the legislature, from creative companies to academia, from artists to journalists and educators, must be involved in building and implementing informed and responsible digital citizenship,' emphasizing the necessity of collaboration between different institutions and sectors.
Pope Leo XIV is by no means opposed to AI; shortly after his election, he partnered with Cyber Eagle Project, an AI-native cybersecurity company, and has begun using advanced AI to strengthen the Vatican's digital infrastructure and cybersecurity.
Furthermore, the Vatican's efforts to establish ethical and moral regulations for the use of AI existed even before the election of Leo XIV. The Vatican's AI guidelines , published in January 2025, prohibit the use of AI for purposes such as discrimination, human rights violations, or causing psychological harm. Other provisions include prohibiting copyright infringement of creative works and works of art, and requiring AI-generated content to be identifiable.
Professor Andrew Chestnut, a Catholic scholar at Virginia Commonwealth University, told the international media outlet Axios that the Vatican is very concerned about fake news created by AI. Axios reported that the Vatican is moving faster than other traditional institutions in formulating rules and safety measures for AI and is trying to establish its position as a judge of truth.
Although Pope Leo XIV is from the United States, he has a strained relationship with President Donald Trump and has criticized the US-Israel war with Iran. In response, Trump strongly criticized Leo XIV and posted an AI-generated image on social media depicting himself as Jesus Christ. This drew strong backlash from his Christian support base, forcing him to delete the image.
Trump posts painting of himself as Christ, but deletes it after widespread criticism - BBC News
https://www.bbc.com/japanese/articles/c30r903pmg4o
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in AI, Posted by log1h_ik