Pope Leo Suddenly Calls for Resistance Against AI, Why?
Pope Leo XIV has called upon artists to unite in safeguarding human creativity amidst the increasingly rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI).
Speaking to cultural figures at the Vatican on Friday (2/10/2026), Pope Leo stated that the Catholic Church wishes to rebuild cooperation with the artistic community to protect what is characteristic of humanity.
“We live in an age of search engines that offer thousands of answers instantly,” said the Pope, as reported by RT.
He subsequently compared this to art, which he believes is a different form of “search engine” because it “does not work by indexing, but by searching.”
According to him, one of the threats facing modern culture is “homogenisation”. Art, he noted, can serve as a counterbalance because it encourages humans to think and to confront things that do not always align with their expectations.
“Your artworks… when they capture our gaze, when they force us to pause before something that cannot be merely consumed, represent a form of cultural and spiritual regeneration,” the Pope remarked.
Speaking more specifically regarding AI, the Pope assessed that it is increasingly important to distinguish artworks born from human creativity from those produced by machines.
“The Church needs you,” he said. “Algorithms do not possess the human spark, whereas authentic culture and art maintain this spark.”
The US-born Pope has repeatedly expressed concerns regarding the development of AI since his election in May 2025. He highlighted its impact on human dignity, justice, and the world of work, while calling for clear ethical boundaries in the use of such technology.
In his first encyclical published this year, the Pope also highlighted the importance of preserving humanity in the era of AI. He asserted that human judgement and responsibility must remain paramount.
Nevertheless, the Pope stated that he does not feel panicked by the progress of AI. Speaking to reporters this week, he said he was not in “panic mode” and could still “sleep at night.”
However, he emphasised that the warnings from experts regarding the potential dangers of AI must still be taken seriously.
Similar concerns are growing among artists and creative workers. They are protesting the use of copyrighted works to train generative AI models without permission or compensation to the original creators.
Creative professionals also fear that AI-generated images, music, and writing could displace human work, depress the economic value of their creations, and make it increasingly difficult for society to distinguish original works from machine-made imitations.