In an age where AI and social media often strip important context from news stories, Pope Leo XIV has spoken out. While condemning the “degrading practice of so-called clickbait,” he urged the media to free itself from “misguided thinking that corrupts” modern-day communication.
According to The Guardian, the Pope made the comments during a private meeting with media members. “Free access to information is a pillar that upholds the edifice of our societies, and for this reason, we are called to defend and guarantee it,” he said.
He also urged media companies to be proactive in addressing AI and its impact on how “we receive information and communicate”: “We must be vigilant in order to ensure that technology does not replace human beings, and that the information and algorithms that govern it today are not in the hands of a few.”
As The Verge notes, Pope Leo XIV previously cited AI as one of the inspirations for his papal name, comparing his responsibility to address its social impact to Pope Leo XIII’s response to the first great industrial revolution.