Pope Leo XIV on Friday (Sep 25) warned that humanity risks losing its way as artificial intelligence and technology increasingly shape everyday life, urging people to develop stronger ethical judgement to navigate a rapidly changing world.“If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for education in ethical discernment,” Leo said after being welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron at the presidential palace.The remarks came on the first day of his four-day visit to France, the first official papal trip to the country in 18 years.<h2>Call for dialogue on secularism</h2>Addressing France’s long-standing separation of church and state, Leo said religion should not be excluded from public life or education.“Authentic secularity” should instead allow the state and religious institutions to maintain dialogue and work together for the common good, he said.His comments come as France faces renewed political debate over immigration, religion and secularism, with the country’s presidential election less than a year away and the anti-immigration far right seeking to expand its influence.<h2>Pope raises concerns over science and technology</h2>Leo also voiced concern about developments in science and medicine becoming driven primarily by profit. His remarks came months after France passed legislation giving some adult patients access to assisted dying.He warned against trends that could turn “science and technology into profit-driven ventures promoting genetic manipulation, surrogacy, the trade in human organs or the possibility of arranging one's own death”.The pope also urged France to remain a “tireless champion of peace” as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues into its fifth year.<h2>Crowds gather across Paris</h2>Around one million people are expected to attend events during the first two days of Leo’s visit. The centrepiece will be a giant Mass at Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees on Saturday.The 71-year-old pontiff will also visit Notre Dame Cathedral, making him the first pope to see the restored Gothic landmark after the devastating 2019 fire.He is later scheduled to meet victims of clerical sexual abuse privately in Lourdes before travelling to Metz, where peace in Europe will again be a key theme.Despite France’s secular character, the visit has drawn large crowds. Around 80,000 young believers are also expected to gather in Saint-Denis for prayers and hymns with the pope.

Pope Leo XIV warned that humanity risks being lost in a “paradise of machines” as AI transforms daily life, calling for ethical discernment and caution over technology’s growing influence in society.

Pope Leo XIV on Friday (Sep 25) warned that humanity risks losing its way as artificial intelligence and technology increasingly shape everyday life, urging people to develop stronger ethical judgement to navigate a rapidly changing world. “If we are to avoid losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines invading and conditioning our daily lives, there is an urgent need for education in ethical discernment,” Leo said after being welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron at the presidential palace. The remarks came on the first day of his four-day visit to France, the first official papal trip to the country in 18 years. Call for dialogue on secularism Addressing France’s long-standing separation of church and state, Leo said religion should not be excluded from public life or education. “Authentic secularity” should instead allow the state and religious institutions to maintain dialogue and work together for the common good, he said. His comments come as France faces renewed political debate over immigration, religion and secularism, with the country’s presidential election less than a year away and the anti-immigration far right seeking to expand its influence. Pope raises concerns over science and technology Leo also voiced concern about developments in science and medicine becoming driven primarily by profit. His remarks came months after France passed legislation giving some adult patients access to assisted dying. He warned against trends that could turn “science and technology into profit-driven ventures promoting genetic manipulation, surrogacy, the trade in human organs or the possibility of arranging one's own death”. The pope also urged France to remain a “tireless champion of peace” as Russia’s war in Ukraine continues into its fifth year. Crowds gather across Paris Around one million people are expected to attend events during the first two days of Leo’s visit. The centrepiece will be a giant Mass at Place de la Concorde and the Champs-Elysees on Saturday. The 71-year-old pontiff will also visit Notre Dame Cathedral, making him the first pope to see the restored Gothic landmark after the devastating 2019 fire. He is later scheduled to meet victims of clerical sexual abuse privately in Lourdes before travelling to Metz, where peace in Europe will again be a key theme. Despite France’s secular character, the visit has drawn large crowds. Around 80,000 young believers are also expected to gather in Saint-Denis for prayers and hymns with the pope.

Pope Leo XIV warned that humanity risks being lost in a “paradise of machines” as AI transforms daily life, calling for ethical discernment and caution over technology’s growing influence in society.

‘Paradise of machines’: Pope Leo XIV warns humanity could be lost to AI

US Vice President JD Vance praised Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday (May 26) for releasing a new theological document warning about unchecked advances in artificial intelligence. The encyclical, the pope’s first since taking office last year, called for restraint that does not halt innovation but instead serves as the exercise of responsible care for the human family. Vance, a Catholic and supporter of AI development, said in a phone interview with NBC News that he had not yet finished reading the document but had reviewed summaries and excerpts. “What I read of it sounds very profound, and the sort of thing that you would expect and hope from a leader of the church,” he said. “The thing about morality is that the principles never change, but the way you apply those principles does, because the world changes, right?”&nbsp;“You have new technologies and warfare, so you have to update ‘Just War’ doctrine,” Vance added. “New ways of human beings interacting with one another, so you have to kind of rethink the entire Catholic social teaching in light of the new world that we live in. And I think that’s exactly what the pope is trying to do. So I’m glad that he did it.”&nbsp;The encyclical was released alongside Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic. The company’s involvement drew attention after the Trump administration reportedly ordered federal agencies to stop using Anthropic technology when the company refused unrestricted military access to its AI systems. Tuesday’s interview also served as Vance’s first public preview of his upcoming book, Communion, scheduled for release on June 16 through HarperCollins. The book explores Vance’s spiritual journey from a Protestant childhood to atheism and eventually his conversion to Catholicism.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/world/south-carolina-senate-rejects-gop-s-plan-to-redraw-districts-during-primary-voting-1779822227905">South Carolina Senate rejects GOP's plan to redraw districts during primary voting</a>&nbsp;Vance also confirmed reports that he removed X from his phone during Lent, the Christian season leading to Easter. Although Lent ended on April 2, he said he still has not reinstalled the app. “It’s one of these things where not having that as a distraction, I think, has made me much more productive,” Vance said. “You’re not scrolling all the time when you get five minutes. I can actually read something, as opposed to, you know, scroll or get distracted by X.”&nbsp;Despite stepping away from the platform, Vance said his account remains active, and many posts are still written by him before staff members publish them. “I live in such a crazy bubble,” Vance said. “I travel with Secret Service all the time. If you think about how many unplanned interactions I have in a given week, it’s close to zero, because I live in such a bubble. And I think one of the good things about social media is that it actually exposes you to unfiltered raw opinions, and that’s one of the things that I need to hear as a political leader. So I will definitely reinstall it, but I’ve enjoyed my little break from it.”&nbsp;The vice president also discussed lifestyle changes during Lent, including a diet recommended by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., focused on high protein and fermented foods.“I think it definitely made me feel healthier, and it’s something I’ve continued with,” Vance added. “So, you know, that’s one of the cool things about Lent, is sometimes you do these things as an act of sacrifice, and you realize that not indulging yourself is maybe a very good thing.” Baptized in 2019, Vance has frequently connected his political role with his Catholic faith. He is the second Catholic vice president in US history after Joe Biden and the first Catholic convert to hold the office.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/videos/laos-cave-flooding-gold-hunt-turns-to-disaster-1779806738612/embed">https://www.wionews.com/videos/laos-cave-flooding-gold-hunt-turns-to-disaster-1779806738612/embed</a>&nbsp;Vance was among the final visitors to meet Pope Francis before his death and later attended the Vatican installation of Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pope. “I’m really glad” that the pontiff took “the name Leo XIV. I think it was very much a nod to Leo XIII, who, of course, became pope at the beginning of the Industrial Age,” Vance said. “I think that Leo XIV is becoming pope at the beginning of the AI age, and I suspect that if we make it through this successfully, it will be in large part because the pope and the church can provide the kind of moral leadership that we need.”&nbsp;Vance said artificial intelligence raises critical questions about human interaction, employment, and warfare. “The technology, and I talked a little bit about this in the book, but it just raises such profound questions for how we interact with one another, what kind of skills we need in the workforce, the kind of wars that we’ll fight and how we’ll fight our wars,” Vance said Tuesday. “I think we really need moral leadership to think through those questions, and that’s exactly what the church is the best leader to do.”

Vice President JD Vance praised Pope Leo XIV’s new AI encyclical, highlighting the need for moral leadership as artificial intelligence transforms society, warfare, workforces, and human interaction

US Vice President JD Vance praised Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday (May 26) for releasing a new theological document warning about unchecked advances in artificial intelligence. The encyclical, the pope’s first since taking office last year, called for restraint that does not halt innovation but instead serves as the exercise of responsible care for the human family. Vance, a Catholic and supporter of AI development, said in a phone interview with NBC News that he had not yet finished reading the document but had reviewed summaries and excerpts. “What I read of it sounds very profound, and the sort of thing that you would expect and hope from a leader of the church,” he said. “The thing about morality is that the principles never change, but the way you apply those principles does, because the world changes, right?” “You have new technologies and warfare, so you have to update ‘Just War’ doctrine,” Vance added. “New ways of human beings interacting with one another, so you have to kind of rethink the entire Catholic social teaching in light of the new world that we live in. And I think that’s exactly what the pope is trying to do. So I’m glad that he did it.” The encyclical was released alongside Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic. The company’s involvement drew attention after the Trump administration reportedly ordered federal agencies to stop using Anthropic technology when the company refused unrestricted military access to its AI systems. Tuesday’s interview also served as Vance’s first public preview of his upcoming book, Communion, scheduled for release on June 16 through HarperCollins. The book explores Vance’s spiritual journey from a Protestant childhood to atheism and eventually his conversion to Catholicism. Also Read: South Carolina Senate rejects GOP's plan to redraw districts during primary voting Vance also confirmed reports that he removed X from his phone during Lent, the Christian season leading to Easter. Although Lent ended on April 2, he said he still has not reinstalled the app. “It’s one of these things where not having that as a distraction, I think, has made me much more productive,” Vance said. “You’re not scrolling all the time when you get five minutes. I can actually read something, as opposed to, you know, scroll or get distracted by X.” Despite stepping away from the platform, Vance said his account remains active, and many posts are still written by him before staff members publish them. “I live in such a crazy bubble,” Vance said. “I travel with Secret Service all the time. If you think about how many unplanned interactions I have in a given week, it’s close to zero, because I live in such a bubble. And I think one of the good things about social media is that it actually exposes you to unfiltered raw opinions, and that’s one of the things that I need to hear as a political leader. So I will definitely reinstall it, but I’ve enjoyed my little break from it.” The vice president also discussed lifestyle changes during Lent, including a diet recommended by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., focused on high protein and fermented foods. “I think it definitely made me feel healthier, and it’s something I’ve continued with,” Vance added. “So, you know, that’s one of the cool things about Lent, is sometimes you do these things as an act of sacrifice, and you realize that not indulging yourself is maybe a very good thing.” Baptized in 2019, Vance has frequently connected his political role with his Catholic faith. He is the second Catholic vice president in US history after Joe Biden and the first Catholic convert to hold the office. https://www.wionews.com/videos/laos-cave-flooding-gold-hunt-turns-to-disaster-1779806738612/embed Vance was among the final visitors to meet Pope Francis before his death and later attended the Vatican installation of Pope Leo XIV, the first US-born pope. “I’m really glad” that the pontiff took “the name Leo XIV. I think it was very much a nod to Leo XIII, who, of course, became pope at the beginning of the Industrial Age,” Vance said. “I think that Leo XIV is becoming pope at the beginning of the AI age, and I suspect that if we make it through this successfully, it will be in large part because the pope and the church can provide the kind of moral leadership that we need.” Vance said artificial intelligence raises critical questions about human interaction, employment, and warfare. “The technology, and I talked a little bit about this in the book, but it just raises such profound questions for how we interact with one another, what kind of skills we need in the workforce, the kind of wars that we’ll fight and how we’ll fight our wars,” Vance said Tuesday. “I think we really need moral leadership to think through those questions, and that’s exactly what the church is the best leader to do.”

US Vice President JD Vance praised Pope Leo XIV’s AI warning encyclical, calling for moral leadership as artificial intelligence reshapes society

JD Vance praises Pope Leo's AI warning encyclical, says 'sounds very profound'

In his strongest warning yet on artificial intelligence, Pope Leo has urged governments worldwide to urgently regulate AI and “disarm” autonomous weapons systems. He warned that rapidly advancing military AI technologies may already be moving beyond meaningful human control.

From AI-driven target generation systems used in modern warfare to the escalating race between governments and private tech companies, the Vatican says the world may be entering a deeply dangerous new era where decision-making in war could shift away from humans.

Pope Leo Sounds Alarm On AI Weapons: Humanity May Lose Control

Pope Leo XIV on Monday (May 25) called for the “disarming” of artificial intelligence in his long-awaited first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity). Leo, the first US pope, warned against “a race for ever more powerful algorithms and larger datasets, driven by the desire to secure geopolitical or commercial dominance”, comparing the technology race to the biblical builders of the Tower of Babel. What did he mean by that? What is the biblical Tower of Babel? WION Decodes.Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/india-s-students-deserve-better-cockroach-janata-party-revives-petition-targeting-edu-minister-dharmendra-pradhan-neet-2026-paper-leak-1779774614724">'India’s students deserve better': Cockroach Janata Party revives petition targeting Edu Minister Dharmendra Pradhan</a><h2>What did the Pope say?</h2>Calling for “robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility”, Leo invoked the story of the Tower of Babel.“With the heart of a shepherd and a father, I ask everyone to abandon the construction of yet another Tower of Babel and to join forces in building up the common good,” wrote Pope Leo. He warned that AI risks reducing humans to merely “cogs”.<h2>What is the Tower of Babel?</h2>In Christian lore, the Tower of Babel represents a civilisation driven by pride, centralised power and human ambition detached from moral responsibility. The tale from Genesis 11:1-9 in the Hebrew Bible tells the story of a world where everyone spoke the same language and understood one another. However, as time passed and the population grew, humanity migrated eastward until people found a vast, fertile plain in the land of Shinar (Babylonia). There, they decided to settle and build a city.They planned to build a tower “that reaches all the way into the heavens!”. This, they said, would help them “make a great name for ourselves, and we will never be scattered or lost across the earth.”Also read | <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/green-card-applicants-should-go-home-new-us-citizenship-rule-may-hit-indians-hardest-check-how-you-could-be-affected-1779514161561">Green card applicants should go home? New US citizenship rule may hit Indians hardest; check how you could be affected</a>As the story goes, they did not use ordinary stone. Instead, they baked mud into hard clay bricks and used thick black tar for mortar, building the tower higher and higher. Their intense ambition did not go unnoticed, and God descended from heaven to see the tower.God realised that the people had been blinded by ambition and pride, and decided to intervene. He confused their speech, making it difficult for them to understand one another. Eventually, unable to communicate, the people scattered across the earth, abandoning the Tower of Babel, which is now known as the symbol of confusion and division.

Why did Pope Leo compare today’s AI race to the biblical Tower of Babel? In his first major message as pope, Leo warned that humanity risks repeating an ancient mistake. So what exactly is the Tower of Babel story? Scroll down to find out.

Pope Leo XIV on Monday (May 25) called for the “disarming” of artificial intelligence in his long-awaited first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas (Magnificent Humanity). Leo, the first US pope, warned against “a race for ever more powerful algorithms and larger datasets, driven by the desire to secure geopolitical or commercial dominance”, comparing the technology race to the biblical builders of the Tower of Babel. What did he mean by that? What is the biblical Tower of Babel? WION Decodes. Also read | 'India’s students deserve better': Cockroach Janata Party revives petition targeting Edu Minister Dharmendra Pradhan What did the Pope say? Calling for “robust legal frameworks, independent oversight, informed users and a political system that does not abdicate its responsibility”, Leo invoked the story of the Tower of Babel. “With the heart of a shepherd and a father, I ask everyone to abandon the construction of yet another Tower of Babel and to join forces in building up the common good,” wrote Pope Leo. He warned that AI risks reducing humans to merely “cogs”. What is the Tower of Babel? In Christian lore, the Tower of Babel represents a civilisation driven by pride, centralised power and human ambition detached from moral responsibility. The tale from Genesis 11:1-9 in the Hebrew Bible tells the story of a world where everyone spoke the same language and understood one another. However, as time passed and the population grew, humanity migrated eastward until people found a vast, fertile plain in the land of Shinar (Babylonia). There, they decided to settle and build a city. They planned to build a tower “that reaches all the way into the heavens!”. This, they said, would help them “make a great name for ourselves, and we will never be scattered or lost across the earth.” Also read | Green card applicants should go home? New US citizenship rule may hit Indians hardest; check how you could be affected As the story goes, they did not use ordinary stone. Instead, they baked mud into hard clay bricks and used thick black tar for mortar, building the tower higher and higher. Their intense ambition did not go unnoticed, and God descended from heaven to see the tower. God realised that the people had been blinded by ambition and pride, and decided to intervene. He confused their speech, making it difficult for them to understand one another. Eventually, unable to communicate, the people scattered across the earth, abandoning the Tower of Babel, which is now known as the symbol of confusion and division.

Why did Pope Leo compare today’s AI race to the biblical Tower of Babel? In his first major message as pope, Leo warned that humanity risks repeating an ancient mistake. So what exactly is the Tower of Babel story? Scroll down to find out.

Pope Leo warns humanity risks repeating ancient mistake: What is the Tower of Babel and what does it have to do with AI?