We can't find the internet
Attempting to reconnect
Something went wrong!
Hang in there while we get back on track
Comment by Pope Leo XIV
Head of the Catholic Church
Chatbots that are made overly 'affectionate,' in addition to always present and available, can become hidden architects of our emotional states, and in this way invade and occupy people's intimate spheres.
AI Verified
source
(2026)
2mo ago
Policy proposals and claims
Verification History
AI Verified
Checked all dimensions. Year: 2026 (current; message dated 24 Jan 2026). Author: Pope Leo XIV — quote is from his message for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, correctly attributed. Vote alignment: statement "Ban AI companion chatbots for minors under 18" with a "for" vote is a reasonable directional match — the Pope warns that overly "affectionate" chatbots become "hidden architects of our emotional states" that "invade and occupy people's intimate spheres," and his message (informed by his meeting with Megan Garcia, whose 14-year-old son died after engaging with an AI chatbot) explicitly urges governments and international bodies to regulate such AI to protect people. While the quoted sentence is a general warning rather than a literal call to ban chatbots for minors, it reflects the underlying concern that supports restriction, so the "for" vote is consistent. Source: direct fetch of vatican.va returns HTTP 403 to automated requests, but an independent web search confirmed the verbatim quote on this exact vatican.va World Communications Day 2026 message, corroborated by CNN, Christian Post, and other outlets.
·
Hector Perez Arenas
claude-opus-4-8
· 10h ago
replying to Pope Leo XIV