Pope Leo XIV Rejects AI Avatar for Virtual Papal Audiences (theregister.com)
- Reference: 0179496102
- News link: https://tech.slashdot.org/story/25/09/23/1748209/pope-leo-xiv-rejects-ai-avatar-for-virtual-papal-audiences
- Source link: https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/19/pope_vetoes_ai_avatar/
The Pope expressed broader concerns about AI's societal impact. He warned that automation could leave only a few people able to live meaningful lives while others merely survive. These concerns influenced his papal name choice, taking inspiration from Pope Leo XIII, who authored Rerum novarum addressing workers' rights during the Industrial Revolution. Leo XIV maintained he isn't opposed to technological innovation but believes links between faith, humanity, and science must be preserved.
[1] https://www.theregister.com/2025/09/19/pope_vetoes_ai_avatar/
Do these links currently exist? (Score:2)
"links between faith, humanity, and science must be preserved."
Do they currently exist?
Re:Do these links currently exist? (Score:4, Informative)
Sure. The [1]Vatican Observatory [vaticanobservatory.va] and people who run it are directly in that space. One of the oldest astronomical institutes out there.
If you want to hear some thoughtful words about the intersection of faith and science, go watch talks or interviews by the last two directors, Br. Guy Consolmagno or Fr. George Coyne. You might not agree with their take on the "faith" side of things, but even noted anti-religion polemicist Richard Dawkins had a great conversation with Fr. Coyne (easy to find on youtube). We could all learn a thing or three from how they approach the interview, even if you don't care about the topic one way or the other.
[1] https://www.vaticanobservatory.va/en/
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Remember: The Vatican forgave Galileo! It only took them 359 years. "And yet it moves!" (E pur si muove!)
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Something like "E pur si muove!"
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Or [1]Georges Lemaitre [wikipedia.org]
(Sorry about the missing diacritic, George. This IS Slashdot.)
[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Georges_Lema%C3%AEtre
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Not in the US they don't.
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They certainly have faith covered. Can't wait for the 10 commandments in every classroom and I hear it's still cool to grab women by the pussy.
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My point was more about how Jesus in the US teaches you to hate your neighbour, and that a government that takes care of people is evil. So there's the missing link between faith and humanity.
There's also the missing links between faith and science, and humanity and science in a similar vein, but maybe I can leave them as an excercise for the reader.
Re: Do these links currently exist? (Score:2)
You also know American Jesus loves you when you get lots of money.
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Now explain why Santa Claus discriminates against poor kids.
Re: Do these links currently exist? (Score:2)
I presume he's working with Republican Jesus. Maybe they are the same guy, you ever see them both in the same room?
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The United States isn't sure about science these days and humanity went out the window months ago.
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> "links between faith, humanity, and science must be preserved."
> Do they currently exist?
Yes. But, paradoxically, only for the very very weak-minded and the very very strong-minded.
Most modern people don't think about it that closely, and noncommittally hover at the upper end of the first condition.
A significant minority fully outgrow it and then plateau, content to splash around in the mental pleasures that come from opposition to their predecessors.
Only a very tiny minority continue their intellectual growth long enough to achieve the second condition.
The human intellect is heavily flawed in
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Some of the best philosophers of all time were Catholic monks. For all the harm they have done, they Catholic Church as also been the most prolific patron of the arts. Many brilliant scientists still believe in God. There are links, but they are more tangential than direct.
Pace (Score:2)
It took the Catholic church a few hundred years to hold mass in languages other than Latin, after Latin itself died as a primary language. They aren't known for moving quickly on things.
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The request was pretty idiotic. A guy at Pope position would have been really ill-advised to accept the liability of an AI avatar giving uncontrolled advice in the name of his Org. In a minute everybody would be trying to trick the LLM Pope to make the most unholy statements. The The AI Pope would remain online for a very short time before being forcefully removed, like Microsoft chatbot Tay in 2016, and would ridicule the whole Church.
There's already catholic counsellor apps (as I found out right now). If
Shame... (Score:4, Funny)
"This artificial intelligence Pope would give them answers to their questions".
Now THOSE hallucinations would have been worth reading.
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Pretty sure the Holy Bible contains much more interesting hallucinations. The Talmud was originally a compendium of human knowledge, much of it from oral folklore. So a lot of it was based on observation, albeit not on double blind testing.
Underhanded question (Score:2)
Already in his first few days in office, Pope Leo XIV had expressed concern about how AI poses a challenge to defending human dignity, justice and labour.
In other words, his position against AI is well known.
IMHO, The only reason to ask this question would be as an attempt to belittle him, and/or to plug some products and services you are affiliated with.
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No different than that anti-vaxxer Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. who said in April he'd have an answer for what causes autism by September.
It's not belittling. It's asking a question whose answer might have been known, but hearing it from the horse's mouth removes all doubt.
Belief in God (Score:1, Informative)
= mental illness.
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I suggest we worship AI instead. Or if that is too progressive, at least some president or some other dickhead or something.
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Why not? By definition, ASI will have God-like intelligence. It may actually deliver on a lot of the promises of religion: immortality and an end to work, taxes, disease.
There was a 'Church of AI' but it shutdown: Anthony Levandowski closes his Church of AI [1]https://techcrunch.com/2021/02... [techcrunch.com]
Related is Roko's basilisk, kind of like a threat from the future:
> Roko's basilisk is a thought experiment which states that there could be an artificial superintelligence in the future that, while otherwise benevolent,
[1] https://techcrunch.com/2021/02/18/anthony-levandowski-closes-his-church-of-ai/
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That is blasphemy!
God has created the World.
Re: Belief in God (Score:3)
Well he should have done a better job, the hairless apes are fucking it all up.
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Which one?
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True, but even so there really is no difference between consulting with a pope, priest, pastor or whatever other religious leader name you want to use and AI. Both are going to regurgitate and lead you by religious fairy tales.