Leo XIV rejects proposal for "AI pope", warns of threats to human identity

Pope Leo has revealed that he turned down a proposal to create an artificial intelligence version of himself, cautioning that such technology could pose a serious danger to human identity.

Speaking in an interview with journalist and author Elise Allen for an upcoming biography, the pontiff said he was approached with the idea of developing an “artificial pope” that would give anyone in the world the opportunity to hold a personal audience, according to POLITICO.

“This artificial intelligence pope would give them answers to their questions, and I said, ‘I’m not going to authorise that,’” Leo explained. “If there’s anybody who should not be represented by an avatar, I would say the pope is high on the list.”

Since his election in May, Leo has been outspoken about the risks posed by artificial intelligence, especially its potential impact on children and young people.

In his first telephone call with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on May 15, he discussed the need to work with the Italian government “for the development of artificial intelligence that is ethical and serves humanity.”

In his latest remarks, the pope also voiced concern about the effect of automation on employment and personal identity.

“Human dignity has a very important relationship with the work that we do,” he said. “If we automate the whole world and only a few people have the means … there’s a big problem, a huge problem coming down the line.”

By Tamilla Hasanova