Pope Leo XIV has spoken about the possible effects of artificial intelligence (AI) on the mental growth of children and young people.
The pope, who began leading the Catholic Church in May and has a background in mathematics, shared his worries about how AI could affect young brains, especially their understanding of reality.
He pointed out that today’s youth have faster and easier access to vast amounts of information thanks to AI technology.
However, the pope cautioned that simply having access to data does not mean true understanding or intelligence.
His message was delivered to those attending the second Rome Conference on AI, including business leaders, policy makers, and scientists.
While the pope welcomed AI’s role in improving healthcare research and scientific progress, he also questioned how it might affect humans’ unique ability to understand and engage with the real world.
Recently, Pope Leo XIV himself was targeted by fake videos and messages created using AI, which circulated on social media platforms.
Studies show that many young people are already using AI chatbots to get news updates and headlines.
The Catholic Church has been involved in discussions about ethical AI use in recent years, encouraging transparency and privacy through agreements like the Rome Call for AI Ethics, which includes support from major organizations like Microsoft, IBM, and the United Nations.
