The Pope has news for people who think they could fall in love with the latest technology – and put simply it’s ‘don’t do it’
Pope Leo XIV has dished out sex bot advice – warning folk to steer clear of AI lovers. The pontiff, who is celibate, is especially fretful over tech designed to mimic romance or emotional intimacy.
Pope Leo warned cyber partners will “invade and occupy our sphere of intimacy” because they are “excessively affectionate, as well as always present and accessible”.
If people turn to artificial intelligence instead of each other, “there can be no relationships or friendships”, he said. Speaking on the World Day of Social Communications, he warned it is becoming “increasingly difficult to determine whether we are interacting with other human beings or with bots”.
The sombre cleric gloomily predicts “painful consequences” for anyone courting the tech and said it could damage the “fabric of society.”
He went on to beg Catholics to protect real connection and keep hold of “human voices and faces”. Thousands of Brits are thought to be engaged in romantic relationships with robots, although the true figure may be much higher.
One in four young adults believe AI will replace real-life partners, a previous YouGov survey found. The Pope also slammed social media giants and their addictive algorithms.
He said the platforms “reward quick emotions and penalise more time-consuming human responses” such as the effort required to understand or reflect.
He added: “These algorithms reduce our ability to listen and think critically, and increase social polarisation.” However, Pope Leo made clear he is not opposed to tech leaps, adding: “We should not stop digital innovation.”