Artificial intelligence has become a fundamental part of the daily lives of millions of people. ChatGPT has the answer to practically any question, but the Church is not willing to let it continue to gain ground.
Pope Leo XIV has been one of the hardest people with this OpenAI chatbot. The priests are starting to use ChatGPT to prepare their masses, the response has been surreal.
ChatGPT arrives at masses
Religion is not immune to the arrival of artificial intelligence. Leo XIV criticized this new trend among priests in a closed-door meeting with the clergy of the Diocese of Rome at the end of last week.
The Pope considers that the situation has gone too far in recent months. Leo XIV has asked his priests to Resist the “temptation to prepare homilies with artificial intelligence”according to Vatican News.
There is no doubt about Leo XIV’s position regarding AI. «Like all the muscles in the body, if we do not use them, if we do not move them, they die. The brain needs to be used, so our intelligence must also be exercised a little so as not to lose this capacity,» the Pope has come to assure.
AI as a spiritual assistant
Chatbots like ChatGPT have become lawyers, psychologists, even what they call in the Vatican a “spiritual assistant.” These AI tools aim to replace priests.
Leo XIV is willing to stop the advance of AI tools like Catholic Answers with a virtual priest known as Father Justin. From Rome They have made it clear that a chatbot could never replace a flesh and blood priest.
“Giving a homily is sharing faith,” according to Leo XIV, who criticizes that AI “will never be able to share faith.” The Pope has also warned believers of the importance of differences between what is shown on social networks and real life.
These statements collide with the reality faced by the institution, which has resisted almost two millennia and must adapt to the 21st century. The Vatican is working on a translation tool with artificial intelligence in up to 60 languages in real time. This novelty was announced on the same day as the Pope’s meeting with the clergy.