Key facts
- Pope Leo XIV stated there is an "ontological difference" between human art and machine-generated art.
- He believes algorithms lack the "spark of humanity."
- The Pope called for preserving human art from AI's encroachment.
- AI company Anthropic has reportedly lobbied the Vatican on non-human consciousness.
Pope Leo XIV has become a vocal critic of AI-generated art, distinguishing it from human creativity. In a post on X on Friday morning, he stated, "There is an ontological difference, even before an aesthetic one, between art and what a machine can generate through statistical calculation based on millions of images created by others." He further elaborated that "Algorithms lack the spark of humanity" and called for the preservation of human art from the encroachment of AI.
This stance follows an encyclical letter issued by the Pope in May, which underscored the importance of human dignity in an increasingly automated world. Despite the Pope's position, AI companies like Anthropic have reportedly engaged in lobbying efforts with the Vatican, seeking to influence its stance on non-human consciousness, though with apparently limited success.