Pope Leo XIV urged global news agencies not to betray their duty to truth by focusing on clickbait articles and warned of risks from artificial intelligence, including deepfakes and misinformation.
The pope told journalists attending a conference held by Minds International, a non-profit organisation that includes news agencies, on Thursday, reports Reuters.
“I urge you, never sell out your authority,” the pope said.
Leo, the first US pope, thanked journalists for their work reporting in Ukraine and Gaza and reiterated his call for the release of reporters who have been jailed for doing their jobs.
“Every day, there are reporters who put their lives at risk to inform people about what is really happening,” the pope said. “If today we know what is happening in Gaza, Ukraine, and every other land bloodied by bombs, we largely owe it to them.”
The pope questioned who directs artificial intelligence and for what purposes, adding that vigilance is needed to ensure technology does not replace human beings.
“We must be vigilant in order to ensure that technology does not replace human beings,” he said.
In an interview with Crux published separately, Leo described experiencing a deepfake video showing him falling down stairs that was convincing enough that people asked if he was injured. The pope said he declined a request to authorise an AI avatar that would give audiences to website visitors.
“If there’s anybody who should not be represented by an avatar, I would say the pope is high on the list,” Leo told Crux.
The pope said fake news and conspiracy theories are destructive and questioned why people consume misinformation.
