Pope Leo XIV warns that AI-generated art threatens human creativity

Pope Leo XIV used his X account on Friday to highlight a deep divide between art crafted by humans and that created by artificial intelligence, describing the latter as lacking a vital human essence. He noted that AI outputs stem from statistical analysis of millions of existing images, which he believes cannot capture the soul of true artistry. This message follows a more detailed encyclical issued in May that linked AI developments to concerns about human dignity in an increasingly automated world.

While the pope calls for safeguarding human art, the AI company Anthropic has allegedly sought to influence Vatican policy on the matter, according to a recent report. The lobbying effort appears to have achieved little success, leaving the Vatican’s position unchanged.