Pope warns of ‘dehumanization’ caused by AI

MONTEVIDEO

Pope Leo XIV waves to faithful from the popemobile upon his arrival for a prayer vigil at the Centenario Stadium in Montevideo on November 7, 2026. (AFP Photo)

Pope Leo XIV warned students on Nov. 7 of “dehumanization” through the use of AI in education, and urged schools and university to place the “person before the algorithm.”

“The process of dehumanization we are experiencing poses a challenge,” the pope, who has warned repeatedly about the need to ensure AI is used ethically, said in a speech at the Catholic University of Uruguay.

Just three weeks after undergoing surgery for lung cancer, the 71-year-old pontiff is on a 12-day tour of South Africa where he served nearly two decades as a missionary.

On Nov. 7, he visited the crime-blighted Montevideo neighborhood of Casavalle.

The murder rate in the impoverished district is four times the national average and residents spoke movingly of the dangers they faced, like commonplace gun violence.

Katherine Silva’s voice cracked with emotion as she told the pope about the violence and abuse she had suffered as a child.

After ending up homeless at 15, the young mother said she “went through very dark times” and “nearly died.”

“There are children in Uruguay who do not go to school for fear of never returning home,” Leo said.

“In a country as rich in resources as this, children should never have to go to bed hungry... Much less should they have to suffer violence to the point of losing their lives,” he added.

As police helicopters flew overhead, locals waved and cheered to welcome the head of the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics, who blessed 12 new low-income houses financed by the Church.