Overview

• León XIV said he refused authorization for a web-based AI duplicate that would grant users a simulated personal audience with a digital “pope.”
• He argued that a pontiff should not be represented by an avatar, describing certain human and spiritual roles as inappropriate for machine replication.
• The pope stressed he is not opposed to artificial intelligence, noting benefits in medicine, but warned about its rapid pace and the erosion of reality.
• He called fake news and conspiratorial beliefs “very destructive” and urged the Church to raise its voice to protect the value of the human person.
• The remarks come from his July 10 interview with journalist Elise Ann Allen, published in a new book now available in Peru, aligning with a July letter to the AI for Good summit that pressed for responsible governance.