Pope Leo has released an encyclical about artificial intelligence, urging authorities to regulate the technology and warning that AI image tools have become a “powerful amplifier” for those spreading disinformation.

The encyclical, released yesterday, is Pope Leo’s first major document; an encyclical is the highest form of teaching from a pontiff. The 43,000-word text, titled ‘Magnifica Humanitas’, has been in progress since Leo’s election as pope and was highly anticipated.

The Pope’s Words on AI Images

The first pope from the U.S. writes that while disinformation did not begin with AI, it has now found a powerful amplifier in AI tools.

“The ability to manipulate content, images and videos exposes people to biased or misleading perspectives,” writes Pope Leo. “This problem has both cultural and moral dimensions, since the quality of public communication depends directly on social trust and, in turn, shapes it.”

The pope says that information is “built through bonds of trust and shared practices.” Arguing that a “shared pursuit of the veracity of facts” provides a solid foundation for communication in the digital age.

“Let us remain faithful to the truth!” he writes. “Living amid incessant flows of information, opinions and images, we know how easy it can be to influence decisions and preferences through increasingly sophisticated algorithms.”

“In this context,” he adds. “It is imperative to cultivate hearts that love the truth, prefer what is right despite the most appealing content and pursue wisdom rather than immediate results.”

Pope Leo also called out AI tools capable of manipulating images and video in the context of online grooming, blackmail, and the sexual exploitation of minors. He warns that these types of tools can negatively impact children who are exposed to digital devices too early.

“Having a personal mobile device at too early an age and using it without adult supervision can exacerbate young people’s vulnerabilities, foster addiction and expose them to isolation, bullying and cyberbullying, as well as to pressures to share intimate images or sensitive information,” Pope Leo writes.

Not far from Vatican City lives Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, who recently shared an AI-generated photo of herself in a state of undress that was made by a political rival. Meloni was warning about the dangers of deepfake photos.

Image credits: Header photo licensed via Depositphotos.

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