Pope urges distinction between human art, AI creations

Pope Leo said Friday it is becoming "urgent" to distinguish human art from "what machines produce" in the era of artificial intelligence.

"In this era of artificial intelligence, it is becoming urgent to distinguish human art from what machines produce," the pontiff wrote on US social media platform X.

He pointed to an ontological difference between art and what a machine can generate through statistical calculation based on millions of images created by others.

"Algorithms lack the spark of humanity," he said.

A series of recent incidents in which AI went beyond what many thought possible, along with warnings from artificial intelligence insiders, has led to calls for the technology to be slowed down and more tightly regulated.

Last month, the pontiff also said artificial intelligence must serve human dignity, strengthen peace and be guided by wisdom and charity.