# Pope Leo XIV on AI

> Pope Leo XIV says AI lacks humanity's spark, urging church to protect artists.
- Title: Pope Leo XIV on AI · PhillyVoice | Shortify
- Summary: Pope Leo XIV says AI lacks humanity's spark, urging church to protect artists. Pope Leo XIV states algorithms cannot possess humanity, so the church will…
- Keywords: pope leo xiv, church, humanity, art, algorithms, ontological, safeguard, news, local, Pope, Leo, XIV
- Source: PhillyVoice — https://phillyvoice.com/pope-leo-xiv-artificial-intelligence-stance
- Published: 2026-10-02T19:59:55.539+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: pope leo xiv, ai, church, humanity, art, algorithms, ontological, safeguard, news, local
## Pope Leo XIV's AI stance
Pope Leo XIV made a social media post Friday establishing support for human artists over AI creations.

> Pope Leo XIV (@Pontifex) October 2, 2026
## Ontological difference in art
He said there's an ontological difference between art and what machines generate through statistical calculation.

> 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
## Algorithms lack humanity
Algorithms lack the spark of humanity, so the Church wishes to renew an alliance with artists to safeguard humanity.

> Algorithms lack the spark of humanity
## Church encyclical
The Church's first encyclical, 'Magnifica Humanitas', centers on technology never replacing humanity.

> Magnifica Humanitas
## Humanity over machines
He wrote humans could risk becoming a commodity if technology becomes too present in everyday life.

> We must lovingly safeguard the grandeur of humanity bestowed upon us and revealed in its fullness in Christ, the splendor of which no machine can ever replace
## AI consciousness
Pope Leo says machines cannot become conscious, do not feel joy or pain, or mature through relationships.

> So-called artificial intelligences do not undergo experiences, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through relationships
## Pope Leo's background
Pope Leo XIV, a Villanova alumnus with a mathematics degree, became the first American pope in July 2026.

> Pope Leo XIV, a native of Chicago and Villanova grad with a degree in mathematics
## Safeguarding humanity
The Church aims to safeguard humanity by renewing alliances with artists and cultural institutions.

> For this reason, the Church wishes to renew an alliance with artists and cultural institutions to safeguard our humanity
## Key takeaway

Pope Leo XIV states algorithms cannot possess humanity, so the church will support human creators to safeguard humanity.