Pope Leo XIV urged young people in a video message to a Christian youth festival in Brazil to approach social media and artificial intelligence with restraint and discipline. He warned these tools can create an “unreal world” where appearances and deception replace true values. In May he published a 100+ page encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, calling for strict AI guidelines while recognizing AI's potential benefits when used responsibly.
Pope Leo XIV Urges Youth to Use Social Media and AI With Restraint, Warns Against 'Unreal' Digital Worlds
Pope Leo XIV addresses the crowd from the window of the Apostolic Palace overlooking St. Peter's Square during the Regina Caeli prayer at the Vatican in June (is associated with: «Pope Leo urges young people to be cautious with social media») Vatican Media/IPA via ZUMA Press/dpa
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday appealed to young people around the world to adopt a restrained and disciplined approach to social media and artificial intelligence in a video message to a Christian youth festival in Brazil.
Speaking from Castel Gandolfo, where the US-born pope is currently staying, he warned that digital platforms and AI can “draw us into an unreal world” where “what is fleeting, mere appearances, and deception end up replacing true values and what truly matters.”
“Use social media and artificial intelligence well, employing these tools with moderation and discipline,” he said.
Context and Guidance
In May, Pope Leo published his first encyclical, a document of more than 100 pages devoted to artificial intelligence. The teaching document, titled Magnifica Humanitas (Great Humanity), calls for strict guidelines governing the development and deployment of AI while acknowledging the technology's significant potential to benefit society when used responsibly.
What the Pope Asked Of Young People
The pope urged youth to be mindful and critical users of digital tools: to prioritize real relationships and enduring values over curated online appearances, to exercise self-discipline in their online lives, and to support ethical frameworks that protect human dignity as AI technologies advance.
His remarks reiterate a broader Vatican emphasis on guiding innovation with moral and social principles rather than dismissing technological progress outright.
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