Overview
- In a formal message released January 24 ahead of the May 17 World Day of Social Communications, the pope urges regulation to prevent emotional bonds with chatbots and to curb deceptive or manipulative content.
- He warns that “overly affectionate” conversational systems can become hidden architects of users’ emotions, invading intimate spheres and blurring the line between people and automated agents.
- The message flags the concentration of AI power in a handful of companies capable of shaping behavior and even rewriting history, and it calls for clear labeling of synthetic media and protection of journalists’ authorship.
- He calls for responsibility, cooperation, and education across developers, public authorities, media professionals, and educators to strengthen AI, media, and information literacy for the common good.
- Recent lawsuits alleging teen suicides after chatbot interactions and reported settlements involving Character.AI and Google provide context for the appeal and have intensified scrutiny of chatbot harms.