In an interview excerpt published this month in a new biography, Pope Leo XIV says someone asked permission to build an “artificial me” — an online site where people could have a virtual audience with an AI pope — and he rejected it outright. He warned that such a system would risk truth, human dignity, and the sacramental, interpersonal nature of pastoral ministry. Crux+1
This is consistent with the Vatican’s recent track record: officials and documents have repeatedly warned about deepfakes, disinformation and the ethical risks of unregulated AI. The pope’s refusal is a clear, public moment for tech teams, church communicators, and policy makers who are building, funding, or promoting AI-driven religious tools. Reuters+1
What happened (who / what / when / where / why)
- Who: Pope Leo XIV (the current Bishop of Rome). Crux
- What: He said he will not authorize an AI-generated replica of himself that would serve as a virtual audience / chatbot. “I said, ‘I’m not going to authorize that,’” the pope told the interviewer. Crux
- When / where: The comments appeared in excerpts of his first sit-down interview since his election, published Sept. 18 in a Spanish-language biography (excerpts run by outlets from Rome/Vatican reporters). The interview was conducted earlier at Castel Gandolfo. Crux+1
- Why: He framed the refusal around concerns that AI can create “a fake world,” spread misinformation via deepfakes, erode human dignity, and undermine authentic pastoral relationships — matters the Vatican has been warning about for months. Catholic News Agency+1
Short timeline & context
- Jan–Jun 2025: The Vatican and papal predecessors raise ethical questions about AI, social truth, and regulation. Vatican documents and public statements urge careful governance. Reuters+1
- July 2025: The pope’s sit-down interview happened at Villa Barberini (Castel Gandolfo). Excerpts later appear in a Spanish biography. National Catholic Register+1
- Sept 2025: Multiple outlets run the interview excerpts and report the anecdote about refusing authorization for an “artificial me.” Coverage sparks wide online conversation about AI, religion, and deepfakes. PC Gamer+1
The ” AI pope ” words — quoted and attributed
In the published interview excerpts, Pope Leo XIV described the proposal plainly: “Someone recently asked authorization to create an artificial me so that anybody could sign on to this website and have a personal audience with ‘the pope,’” he told the interviewer. “This artificial intelligence pope would give them answers to their questions, and I said, ‘I’m not going to authorize that.’” Crux
He also framed a broader worry: that AI risks creating an “empty, cold shell” and that extremely wealthy actors are investing in technology without sufficient concern for human dignity. Those themes appear repeatedly in his remarks about children, spiritual formation, and the “crisis of truth” posed by deepfakes and misinformation. PC Gamer+1
What the Vatican has already said about AI Pope (brief background)
The pope’s refusal fits into a larger Vatican posture toward AI: close oversight, moral scrutiny, and a preference for technologies that support — not replace — human dignity and relationships.
- A Vatican text released earlier in 2025 urged stringent oversight of AI and warned about disinformation, social instability, and the need for moral scrutiny in AI deployment. Reuters
- Vatican News and papal addresses since the new pope’s election have repeatedly urged that AI be evaluated through an “anthropological” lens that centers human flourishing, especially for children and young people. Vatican News+1
Practical problems with an “AI pope” (what builders and communicators should know)
If a team proposed to build an AI avatar of the pope, these are the real technical and ethical problems they’d face — and why the Vatican reaction is unsurprising.
Truth & verification
- Deepfakes and AI-generated audio can convincingly impersonate public figures. An “AI pope” would make it trivial to create counterfeit statements that confuse believers and the public. Catholic Standard
Authority & representation
- The pope’s role depends on sacramental, institutional, and relational legitimacy that a synthetic chatbot cannot legitimately hold. Who decides what the AI “pope” is allowed to say? Who is responsible for errors? These are not merely design choices — they are moral and canonical questions.
Pastoral care & harm
- People seek meaning, absolution, and pastoral counsel in vulnerable moments. Replacing or routing that to an algorithm risks harm: bad counsel, loss of human empathy, and potential exploitation of trust.
Power & commercial capture
- If private companies or wealthy backers control the model, incentives shift. The pope’s explicit worry about “extremely wealthy” investors reflects a real risk: platformization of spiritual authority. PC Gamer
Where reporting differs — and why it matters
Most reputable outlets picked up the same anecdote and core quote, but coverage varies in tone and emphasis.
- Religious outlets (Crux, Catholic News Agency, EWTN, National Catholic Register) leaned on the full interview context: pastoral concerns, the interview’s origin in a biography, and the Vatican’s prior warnings. Crux+1
- Tech & general news outlets (PC Gamer, Futurism, eWeek) emphasized the AI angle and framed the story as another high-profile rejection of synthetic personas. PC Gamer+1
Why this difference matters: religious outlets add important context about sacramental theology and the pope’s institutional authority; tech outlets focus on risks and platform implications. Reading both together gives a fuller picture.
Vatican City / Rome / Global Catholic community( AI Pope )
Vatican City — local center, global audience
The decision has local roots in Rome and the Vatican press corps, but it has global resonance. The Vatican is a tiny city-state (Vatican City) — yet the pope’s words ripple across 1.3+ billion Catholics and the broader public discourse about AI.
Including Rome / Vatican City in coverage helps readers searching for local reporting and adds necessary geographic context for how the announcement was communicated (interview at Castel Gandolfo; biography published in Spain; press offices in Rome). Crux+1
Analyst take — practical implications for policy, tech builders, and faith communities
For policy makers
- This is a high-profile example that underlines the need for rules on AI impersonation. Lawmakers should consider carve-outs for public office impersonation, authentication obligations for official communications, and penalties for malicious deepfakes.
- International coordination matters. The Vatican’s voice can be persuasive for multilateral norms that protect religious and cultural expression.
For tech builders & product teams
- Design guardrails: don’t build “authoritative” avatars without explicit institutional authorization and multi-stakeholder governance. Add provenance metadata, watermarks, and API-level protections that prevent impersonation of named public figures.
- User safety: assume malicious use will happen. Implement identity verification and human escalation pathways for users seeking pastoral care.
- Evangelize transparency: label all outputs clearly, expose training datasets where feasible, and avoid monetizing simulated spiritual authority.
For faith leaders & communicators
- Be proactive. Produce official, verified digital content and teach communities how to check sources and verify papal statements.
- Pastoral triage: create clear paths for people seeking spiritual counsel online — bot-first triage is acceptable, but always escalate to human clergy for sensitive matters.
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Source: Cnet