According to Reuters report on September 25th, Pope Leo XIV warned during his visit to France that artificial intelligence is increasingly intervening and affecting human daily life. Humans should be wary of a future where the Earth is controlled by "machine paradises".
Leo XIV arrived in Paris on that day and began a four-day visit to France. This was the first time a Pope had visited France in nearly 20 years. French President Emmanuel Macron and his wife Brigitte greeted him at Orly Airport in Paris.
At Versailles Palace when delivering a speech, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama emphasized the risks of artificial intelligence. He stated: “If we want to avoid losing humanity in a ‘machine paradise’ that invades and limits our daily life, it is urgently necessary to conduct education on ethical judgments.”
Reuters reports that Leo XIV was the first Pope from the United States. During the 16 months since his inauguration, he has been warning of the risks posed by the rapid development of artificial intelligence and has made this issue an important topic during his tenure.
On that day, Leo XIV also criticized practices such as genetic manipulation, surrogate motherhood, human organ trading, and assisting in death, expressing concerns that science and technology could become tools for profit. Two months ago, French lawmakers approved a measure allowing patients with incurable diseases to seek assistance in dying.
During this visit, Leo XIV will also travel to Lourdes and Meaux, and conduct prayer services at Notre Dame in Paris. He will also address the issue of sexual assault by clergy members, which has been a long-time concern for the French Catholic Church.
A survey report published in 2021 estimates that over the past 70 years, approximately 330,000 French children have been sexually assaulted or abused by Catholic clergy and related individuals. According to the schedule, Pope Leo XIV will meet with seven victims of sexual abuse by French Catholic clergy in Lourdes on the 27th.
