Pope Leo warns in France that AI is creating 'paradise of machines'

Throngs of people began to assemble in Paris on Friday to witness Pope Leo XIV, who had cautioned against humanity becoming swallowed up by a utopian machine-driven existence amid mounting worries about artificial intelligence. It is anticipated that hundreds of thousands will line the streets of the French capital as the world's most populous Catholic leader embarks on his maiden official visit to Europe in 18 years.

Monique Barusseaud, 83, was among a diverse crowd waiting in central Paris for the commencement of his 2.5-kilometer popemobile excursion later in the day. "Today, at last, I will see the pope," remarked the retiree from La Rochelle, who had arrived early, armed with a folding chair, to ensure an optimal vantage point.

As his visit approached, anticipation swelled among the faithful following Pope Leo's address to President Emmanuel Macron at the presidential palace. He emphasized the urgent need to protect humanity from AI's encroachment and its conditioning of daily life, stressing the importance of education in ethical discernment. In a climate of strained transatlantic relations and the ongoing fifth year of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, he implored France to remain an unwavering advocate for peace.

As tensions mount over potential conflicts and myriad global crises, France is urged to continue championing peace and multilateralism, particularly within the beloved continent. The first US pontiff's visit is scheduled seven months before the presidential elections that will see the far-right anti-immigration party in its strongest position to seize power after the centrist.

In a country that has maintained a staunchly secular stance for over a century, separating church and state, Pope Leo stressed that authentic secularism should not exclude religion from the public sphere or education.

Recent legislation granting some adult patients the right to assisted dying prompted Pope Leo's warning against transforming science and technology into profit-driven ventures promoting genetic manipulation, surrogacy, human organ trade, or the possibility of arranging one's own death. An estimated one million people are expected to attend events in Paris during the first two days of his trip, marking the first official papal journey since Pope Benedict XVI in September 2008.

The papal highlight will be a grand mass on Saturday at Place de la Concorde and adjoining Champs-Elysees.

Beyond Paris, Pope Leo will pay a visit to Lourdes, a pilgrimage site for Christians worldwide where he will have a private meeting with victims of clerical sex abuse, and Metz, near the German border, where he will further discuss peace in Europe. On Friday afternoon, he will address the UN culture and education agency UNESCO, following its head's assertion that the pontiff is an "indispensable partner" in the AI debate.

He is set to greet the crowds on his way to Notre Dame cathedral, where he will be the first pope to inspect renovations following a devastating 2019 fire. Pope Leo's itinerary concludes with a mass prayer and hymns with 80,000 young believers aged 17 to 35 in a stadium in the Paris suburb of Saint-Denis. Despite Catholics making up only around five percent of France's 69 million residents, teenage and adult baptisms are increasing, with thousands embracing the faith in recent years.