Pope Leo XIV warns AI risks humanity in France speech

Pope Leo XIV warned that artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies could undermine humanity, speaking on 25 September 2026 at the Élysée Palace beside President Emmanuel Macron in Paris. He said losing humanity amid a "paradise of machines" required urgent education in ethical discernment. The Vatican estimated about 300,000 people came out to see the pontiff that day, during a four-day visit that marks the first official papal visit to France in 18 years.politico.eu+1

The warning matters because Leo has identified artificial intelligence as one of the greatest challenges facing humanity since the start of his pontificate. He dedicated his first encyclical, "Magnificent Humanity," to the topic, calling for robust regulation and for developers to work for the common good rather than profit. What is new in this visit is that he delivered the message directly to Macron and French authorities, then to diplomats and United Nations employees at UNESCO headquarters in Paris.

Warning at the Élysée Palace

Leo said that avoiding the loss of humanity amid a "paradise of machines invading and conditioning our daily lives" requires an urgent need for education in ethical discernment and the capacity to acknowledge the moral good. He argued that scientific progress should not become profit-driven ventures promoting genetic manipulation, surrogacy, the trade in human organs, or the possibility of arranging one's own death. France had passed a landmark bill legalising assisted dying a few months earlier.

Leo described a paradox: intelligence is attributed to computational systems while the inalienable dignity of human persons goes unrecognised, with lives judged by efficiency and discarded when deemed no longer productive. He told reporters he was pleased his message was being heard by AI developers and hoped dialogue would continue between tech companies and the Vatican. He said many developers are open to ensuring AI does not displace or destroy humanity but remains a tool for human beings.

Leo reaffirmed the Vatican's opposition to nuclear weapons during the same opening speech, calling the nuclear deterrence doctrine "mistaken" because it was fuelling a new arms race. He recalled France's deep Christian roots and the recognition of human rights as he issued his warning about scientific progress and AI. The speech came as wars continued to affect Europe and the Middle East, framing his security remarks alongside the technology warning.

Nuclear deterrence called mistaken

Beyond AI, Leo urged France to embrace dialogue and diversity. Speaking at the Élysée Palace, he said a truly free society prevents authoritarian tendencies, and that dialogue is especially urgent in present-day France where people of differing cultural and religious backgrounds are called to live together. He argued that authentic secularity should not exclude religion from the public sphere or from education. The pope named no politician or party in these remarks.

The Vatican estimated about 300,000 people came out to see the pontiff on 25 September 2026. Thousands of worshippers cheered as he prayed at a stadium near Paris, calling those gathered the saints of France, and he crossed central Paris in his popemobile earlier that afternoon. The visit takes Leo from the Élysée to UNESCO, Notre-Dame Cathedral and a youth vigil at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis, on Paris's outskirts.

Where the crowd figures came from

Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary of the Vatican's Dicastery for Culture and Education, said the pope will not offer voting instructions in France nor criticise those who want to vote for Marine Le Pen. Spadaro said those attracted to nationalism often have legitimate concerns about identity and the fear of losing it, but have been offered the wrong answer. He added that roots are a good thing, and the trouble begins when roots are used as walls.

Macron said the pope brought hope to France and praised his work on artificial intelligence and human dignity. The visit comes seven months before France's presidential election, with Le Pen's National Rally leading opinion polls and Macron unable to run for a third term in the May election. Charles Mercier, of Paris EPHE university, said standing beside the pope can matter for a president at the end of his mandate.

What happens next on the visit

Leo is scheduled to celebrate Mass on Saturday, expected to gather 600,000 people on the Champs-Elysées in Paris. The Mass is the largest expected gathering of the four-day trip, following the Élysée speech, the UNESCO appearance and the Stade de France youth vigil. The Vatican estimated about 300,000 people came out to see the pontiff on 25 September 2026, a figure the Saturday crowd is expected to more than double.