Pope Leo XIV issued a serious warning To the world about artificial intelligence: He said that humanity risks becoming “passive consumers” of technology rather than active co-workers in creation.
The Pontiff made a major argument Address On Friday, December 5, it said that the current path of AI development poses serious risks to critical thinking, child development and the balance of power in society. He urged everyone to protect what makes us human, including our ability to reflect, choose and love freely, and to avoid leaning too heavily on AI.
To explore Pope’s comments and their potential impact, I discussed the news with Paul Roetzer, founder and CEO of SmarterX and the Marketing AI Institute. Episode 184 of the Artificial Intelligence Show.
protect human dignity
The Pope said nothing about the dangers of uncontrolled AI consumption.
“The ability to access vast amounts of data and information should not be confused with the ability to derive meaning and value from it,” Pope said.
He also said: “Our dignity lies in our ability to reflect, choose freely, love unconditionally, and enter into authentic relationships with others.”
They fear that this is a threat from AI.
The Pope particularly highlighted the risks to children, and urged society to protect young people’s “freedom and inner life” from being blocked by powerful digital tools that provide instant answers without deep, emotional consideration.
He also warned of economic consequences and said AI should not be used only to “consolidate wealth and power in the hands of a few”.
Silicon Valley pushback
Pope’s comments come amid already heated debate and contrast sharply with the AI acceleration ideals of Silicon Valley investors and entrepreneurs.
Just last month, tensions between the two camps came to the fore when venture capitalist Marc Andreessen publicly mocked the Pope. x,
Following the pontiff’s tweet that AI “holds moral and spiritual significance,” Andreessen, a vocal supporter of Effective Accelerationism (E/ACC), said, express reaction With a meme that many considered dismissive of the Pope’s moral concerns.
Andreessen eventually removed the post, but the incident highlighted a fundamental difference of opinion:
- Pro-Human Perspective: Representation, caution, human dignity and regulation were emphasized by figures including the Pope.
- Accelerationist Approach: Represented by investors like Andreessen, who see slowing AI development as a moral failure that costs lives and progress.
Why does this matter to business leaders?
It is easy for business executives to dismiss comments from religious leaders or public social media controversies as irrelevant to their bottom line.
But Roetzer warns that ignoring the cultural and political aspects of AI is a mistake.
The influence of the Pope is huge. There are approximately 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide, and approximately 20% of the adult population in the United States identifies as Catholic.
When their religious leaders present AI as a matter of spiritual and human survival, it shapes how their followers view the technology.
“There are a lot of people in the world who care about what the Pope says, and it affects what they think, what they believe and how they act,” Roetzer says. “And so it’s really important that you have that context when you start thinking about how society will respond to AI in 2026.”
He said, this is beyond religion. This speaks to the fact that AI is no longer just a technology story. It is a controversial social issue similar to climate change and health care.
“AI is a political and religious topic, very important,” Roetzer says.
