The Pope is tackling a strange epidemic known only to the 21st century: Human relationships with artificial intelligence.
According to The Hill, Pope Leo XIV issued a dire warning regarding these relationships in his address for the 60th World Day of Social Communications.
“Technology must serve the human person, not replace it,” Leo said. He further noted that “preserving human faces and voices” is an “indelible reflection of God’s love.”
As the use of AI continues to skyrocket, so does its unusual use. People are no longer using AI only for simple tasks to make life easier. They are relying on it for emotional support, and in many cases, choosing companionship with these bots over relationships with other people. Some have even “married” AI boyfriends and girlfriends, and unfortunately, some have relied on it to do even the unthinkable, up until the point of it leading to self-destruction and death.
“By simulating human voices and faces, wisdom and knowledge, consciousness and responsibility, empathy and friendship,” Leo believes AI is “encroach[ing] upon the deepest level of communication, that of human relationships.”
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He further noted the spiritual dangers of seeking AI to be an “omniscient friend, source of all knowledge … or an oracle of all advice.” The Hill reported that Leo then said: “Because chatbots are excessively ‘affectionate,’ as well as always present and accessible, they can become hidden architects of our emotional states and so invade and occupy our sphere of intimacy.”
The Pope further cited that replacing human relationships with AI “robs” us of the chance to “encounter others.”
In Scripture, the apostles warned that the last days would be marked by deception on a scale never before witnessed. Paul wrote that “evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived” (2 Tim. 3:13). What was once thought to be science fiction is now creating spiritual substitutes—counterfeit relationships, counterfeit intimacy and even counterfeit purpose.
The rise of AI “companionship” looks less like progress and more like a reframing of ancient temptations: to create gods in our own image, to seek counsel without accountability, and to embrace relationships without covenant or cost. It is not hard to imagine how such technologies could become tools for isolation, control and deception in a generation already wrestling with loneliness and identity confusion.
Jesus also warned that in the final hours, “lawlessness will abound, and the love of many will grow cold” (Matt. 24:12). As human connection fractures and digital imitation becomes normalized, society is trading the God-designed gift of relationship for hollow simulations that can never satisfy the soul. The more humanity tries to outsource what only Christ can fulfill, the more vulnerable it becomes to the lies of the age.
Now is the time for Christians to guard their hearts, contend for truth and anchor themselves in the love of God that no machine can ever replicate.
Abby Trivett is a writer and editor for Charisma Media and has a passion for sharing the gospel through the written word. She holds two degrees from Regent University, a B.A. in Communication with a concentration in Journalism and a Master of Arts in Journalism. She is the author of the upcoming book, The Power of Suddenly: Discover How God Can Change Everything in a Moment.
