Beware of the AI chatbot that turns into greater than only a pal, or worse, an emotional crutch. Pope Leo XIV has warned about overly “affectionate” chatbots, urging regulation to forestall people from forming critical emotional bonds with their AI companions.
The US-born pontiff, writing in a message forward of the Catholic Church’s annual World Day of Social Communications, stated artificial intelligence risked diluting human creativity and decision-making.
“As we scroll through our information feeds, it becomes increasingly difficult to understand whether we are interacting with other human beings, bots, or virtual influencers,” Pope Leo wrote on Saturday.
“Because chatbots that are made overly ‘affectionate,’ in addition to always present and available, can become hidden architects of our emotional states, and in this way invade and occupy people’s intimate spheres,” he added.
Compared to his predecessors, Leo XIV is extra engaged with the digital world. As a bishop and cardinal, he had an X account, and as pope he wears what seems to be an Apple watch or different sensible watch.
Soon after his election, Leo stated he needed to make AI a spotlight of his papacy and has known as for an moral framework for the creating know-how.
At the top of 2025, Leo additionally met Megan Garcia, a lady whose 14-year-old son, Sewell Setzer, took his personal life after partaking with an AI Chatbot. In his newest message, the pope known as for nationwide governments and worldwide our bodies to take motion on this space.
“Appropriate regulation can protect people from an emotional attachment to chatbots and contain the spread of false, manipulative or misleading content, preserving the integrity of information against its deceptive simulation,” he wrote.
Leo additionally known as for clear distinctions between content material generated by AI versus created by individuals, together with journalists.
“Authorship and sovereign ownership of the work of journalists and other content creators must be protected,” the pontiff stated. “Information is a public good.”
And he urged media and communication firms to not use algorithms “for a few more seconds of attention” if it betrays their “professional values.”
Leo additionally raised issues concerning the “handful of companies” behind the event of AI, pointing particularly to the founders who had been not too long ago offered as “Person of the Year 2025” by Time journal. Leo stated it “raises concerns” {that a} small group of individuals has “control of algorithmic and AI systems that can subtly shape behavior and even rewrite human history – including the history of the Church – often without us fully realizing it.”
The church’s World Day of Social Communications takes place on May 17, 2026, and this yr is targeted on defending human dignity at a time of technological innovation.