Pope Leo warns against AI and says technology ‘must remain at service of humans’ during first visit to France - as it happened

Key Points:

• Pope Leo emphasized that technology must serve humanity and not become a tool for domination or injustice, warning that rapid advancements, especially in AI, risk dehumanizing society and undermining human dignity.
• Reflecting on human nature, he stressed that life should be seen as a gift demanding care and responsibility, cautioning that treating life as a commodity leads to exploitation and the loss of essential human values.
• He criticized world leaders for manipulating laws to serve their interests, describing justice as increasingly treated like a commodity, and called for ethics to underpin scientific and technological progress to preserve human dignity.
• The Pope highlighted the crisis facing international institutions like the UN, urging renewed trust and dialogue as essential for peace, and warned that without a shared ethical foundation, communication technologies could spread misinformation and hinder meaningful dialogue.
• During his visit to France, Pope Leo also called for compassion towards suffering, criticized nuclear arms races, and reaffirmed the importance of authentic secularity that includes respect for religious tradition.