Pope Leo XIV has called for an urgent distinction between art created by humans and art produced by machines. In a post on X, the Pontiff emphasized that there is an "ontological difference" between the two, noting that algorithms rely on statistical calculations based on millions of existing images and lack the "spark of humanity."
Pope Leo XIV distinguishes human art from machine-generated content, citing ontological differences
The Pope’s remarks align with his broader caution regarding the rapid advancement of artificial intelligence. In an encyclical letter released in May, he emphasized the importance of protecting human dignity in an increasingly automated world.
Despite the Vatican's stance, AI companies continue to engage with the Holy See. Reports indicate that Anthropic has actively lobbied the Vatican to reconsider its position on non-human consciousness, though these efforts have reportedly met little success.
Sources
- Pope Leo XIV is not a fan of AI-generated art （TechCrunch AI, 2026-10-02）
- 教皇庁の通達