The pope moves to police AI

The Vatican is racing to build digital defenses for the artificial intelligence era—and quietly positioning itself as a global referee of what's real. The Holy See is moving faster than most other legacy institutions to shape rules and guardrails in verifying reality, with urgency that's unfolding amid unusual geopolitical and digital clashes. In February, Leo XIV told priests not to use AI to write homilies or to seek "likes" on social media platforms like TikTok. In 2025, the Vatican also issued one of the world's first state-level AI frameworks, requiring systems to be ethical, transparent and human-centered. The guidelines also prohibit AI uses that could manipulate people, discriminate or threaten security, and require safeguards around data and institutional integrity. The push has fueled speculation — especially online — that the Vatican could build a kind of "truth engine," a system to authenticate information or arbitrate reality.