France faces a moral debate over technology after Pope Leo XIV warned that artificial intelligence could undermine human dignity as he opened a four-day visit. The pope delivered the warning during remarks to Church and state officials at the Élysée Palace, following talks with President Emmanuel Macron.
The pontiff said the world must guard against "losing our humanity amid a paradise of machines," calling attention to the growing influence of AI and urging that technological progress not come at the expense of human values and dignity.
The visit is staged amid major public events that will concentrate attention on the pope's comments. Organisers expect more than half a million people to attend a Mass in Paris on Saturday, and an altar has been constructed at Place de la Concorde. Security has been increased around the Champs-Élysées and nearby areas for the gatherings.
Pope Leo XIV arrived in France on Friday and was welcomed at Orly airport by President Macron. He is scheduled to travel through Paris in a popemobile, with crowds expected along the route to Notre-Dame Cathedral. Macron himself is not expected to attend the pope's Masses because of France's strict separation between church and state, but Brigitte Macron and Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu are due to attend the Saturday service. Several prominent French political figures, including Marine Le Pen, Édouard Philippe, Gabriel Attal and Bruno Retailleau, are also expected.
Élysée officials dismissed media reports of tension between the French presidency and the Vatican over visit arrangements, saying France offered the ceremonial events usually afforded to visiting heads of state. Vatican officials said Pope Leo declined Macron's invitation to meet the artisans working on the Notre-Dame reconstruction because of a tight schedule.
After his visit to Notre-Dame, the pope will meet about 80,000 young people at the Stade de France. On Sunday roughly 150,000 people have registered to attend Mass at the Catholic sanctuary of Lourdes in the Pyrenees. He will conclude the visit on Monday in Metz, where he will pay tribute to Robert Schuman, a founding figure of the European Union who is a candidate for beatification.
The pope's intervention puts moral scrutiny on AI at a moment when his high-profile programme will draw national attention, and his remarks are likely to shape public and political discussion during the remainder of the visit.
