Douala: Pope Leo
The Pope has called for vigilance against artificial intelligence several times since his election in May 2025, but his latest warning comes as Trump faces backlash over now-deleted AI-generated posts that appeared to liken the U.S. leader to Christ.
After holding a stifling mass in Cameroon’s economic capital Douala to more than 120,000 joyful worshipers – the biggest event of the groundbreaking Africa trip so far – the leader of the world’s 1.4 billion Roman Catholics warned of the dangers of technology.
“The challenge posed by these systems is greater than it seems. It is not just about the use of new technologies, but about the gradual replacement of reality by its simulation,” he said in a speech to teachers and students at the Catholic University of Central Africa in the capital Yaoundé.
“Thus, polarization, conflict, fear and violence have spread. What is at stake is not just the risk of being wrong, but a change in our very relationship to truth.”
It marks the latest outspoken intervention by the Pope, who set aside his previous restraint to deliver an impassioned plea for world peace during his 11-day tour of Africa, putting him at odds with fellow American President Donald Trump.
