Pope Leo XIV implored clergy in the Diocese of Rome to resist a new temptation at a closed-door meeting in February, Futurist reports.
Today, “deus ex machina” usually refers to an incredible plot device in a novel, but the phrase literally means “God in the machine,” and Pope Leo’s exhortation touches on the unsurprising, disturbing trend of using ChatGPT as an integral part of liturgy.
On February 20, Vatican News reported on Leo’s interactions with Catholic priests of four ages, during which he urged clergy to resist “the temptation to prepare sermons” using artificial intelligence tools such as ChatGPT.
“Like all muscles in the body, if we don’t use them, if we don’t move them, they die. The brain needs to be used, so our intellect must also get a little exercise so as not to lose this ability,” the pope said.
Pope Leo also emphasized that the purpose of preaching is to “communicate the faith,” something that AI tools cannot do, citing a documented side effect of AI use, namely “deskilling.”
The Vatican is not the only institution or entity grappling with the impact of artificial intelligence. Around the world, the rise of artificial intelligence is disrupting schools, the job market, and the controversial energy landscape.
As data center development continues to explode with the continued adoption of artificial intelligence, communities report declining quality of life due to the noise and air pollution generated by these facilities. Unfortunately, these effects are not limited to their immediate vicinity.
By mid-2025, data center energy needs have driven up electricity bills nationwide, and taxpayers are unknowingly subsidizing the development of artificial intelligence. In addition to depleting communities of water, data center power usage puts pressure on increasingly outdated public power grids.
AI companies like Meta are pitching their tools as a solution to the loneliness epidemic, and many users have formed romantic relationships with chatbots, raising questions about the technology’s impact on mental health and real-life connections.
While Pope Leo XIV did not address the issue of social isolation in the context of AI, his comments to the Diocese of Rome still considered the issue, encouraging priests to develop genuine friendships with young parishioners.
“They maintain a certain distance and aloofness from others, unaware of the richness and value of real human connections,” Leo said.
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