A huge problem coming down the line’: Pope Leo XIV knows you want an AI Pope, but he can’t get past a few issues

Pope Leo XIV has rejected a proposal to create an AI version of himself. He revealed the news in an interview for a biography, stating that he was asked for permission to create an “artificial pope” to allow anyone to have a personal audience. The pontiff, however, was not on board with the idea, saying, “I’m not going to authorize that.”

The core of the issue for Pope Leo XIV seems to be the idea of having an avatar represent him. As he put it in the interview, “If there’s anybody who should not be represented by an avatar, I would say the pope is high on the list.” I honestly can’t disagree with him there. The whole point of the papacy is a human connection, and an AI just can’t replicate that. An “artificial pope” might be able to give answers to questions, but it would be a cold, calculated response, not one rooted in human empathy and understanding.

The church has been consistently concerned with the well-being of people since Leo took over, and he seems to see this kind of technology as a potential risk to human identity. This is a pretty deep and important conversation to have, and it’s interesting to see a major religious figure taking such a hard line on the ethical implications of AI.

Sorry, there won’t be a dystopian AI pope in the near future

Beyond just the idea of an “AI pope,” the pontiff’s concerns run a lot deeper. During his first phone call with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in May, he discussed working together with the Italian government for the “development of artificial intelligence that is ethical and serves humanity.” This is a huge statement, showing he’s not against AI entirely, but rather against its unchecked and unethical use.

He’s worried about the broader societal impacts, specifically on employment and human dignity. As he told Elise Allen, “Human dignity has a very important relationship with the work that we do.” The fear is that if we automate everything, only a few people will have the means to live, which he calls “a huge problem coming down the line.”

The pontiff’s comments aren’t just about a hypothetical “AI pope” either; they’re a broader warning about the direction technology is heading. He’s talking about the real-world consequences of automation and how it could fundamentally change the way we live and work.