Pope Leo has warned that the rapid development of artificial intelligence could threaten human autonomy, urging the world to strengthen ethical oversight of the technology.
Reuters reported that while opening a four-day visit to France on Friday, Leo said there was an urgent need for greater “ethical discernment” to prevent technology from dominating everyday life.
“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,” the pope said at the Elysee Palace in Paris.
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The first US pope, who has made concerns over AI a recurring theme of his 16-month papacy. He placed the issue at the centre of his France visit, his first trip to the country since becoming pope.
Leo also criticised what he described as trends that could turn science and technology into profit-driven ventures, citing genetic manipulation, surrogacy, the trade in human organs and assisted dying.
“I am concerned … by those trends in society that risk turning 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,” he said.
The pope's four-day visit spans Paris, Lourdes and Metz and comes nearly two decades after the last papal visit to France.
Leo is also expected to address broader questions around Europe's future during a speech on Monday. He told reporters aboard his flight to Paris that he was travelling with a message of peace, adding that the message was particularly important at the current time.
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In Paris, Leo was welcomed by French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron at Orly airport. He was later due to lead a prayer service at the restored Notre-Dame cathedral, marking the first papal visit to the landmark since the 2019 fire. He is also scheduled to address staff at UNESCO, which has faced financial pressure following the US withdrawal from the agency in 2025.
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