Pope Leo XIV Condemns AI Art, Citing Lack of Human Spark

Pope Leo XIV has urged the Catholic Church to "renew an alliance with artists and cultural institutions" to counteract the proliferation of artificial intelligence-generated art, which he stated lacks "the spark of humanity." The pontiff expressed these views Friday on X, formerly Twitter, emphasizing the need to distinguish human creation from machine output.

Leo's pronouncements follow rapid advancements in AI technology, a trend that has also prompted calls for guardrails from politicians and industry leaders. In May, the Pope detailed his concerns in an encyclical, writing that "human dignity is threatened by new forms of dehumanization, ours is the pressing duty to remain profoundly human."

He further elaborated that "true progress always stems from a heart open to others, an intelligence willing to listen and a will that seeks what unites rather than what separates," and that "the splendor of [humanity] bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, the splendor of which no machine can ever replace."

Recent research indicates public apprehension regarding AI's impact on human creativity and relationships. A Pew Research survey conducted earlier this year found that U.S. adults generally worry about AI's potential to diminish creative thinking and the capacity for meaningful interpersonal connections.

Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump has dismissed concerns about AI as a "HOAX." Trump, who has previously posted AI-generated art, including an image depicting himself as a Christ-like figure that drew criticism and which he later explained was meant to show him as a doctor, has been an outspoken critic of AI regulation efforts. The New York Times has reported that Anthropic, the AI company behind the Claude language model, has engaged with religious leaders regarding the nature of AI consciousness.

"There is an ontological difference, even before an aesthetic one, between art and what a machine can generate through statistical calculation based on millions of images created by others," Leo stated Friday, highlighting his view that AI creations are fundamentally distinct from human artistic expression.