In Brief Posted: 8:39 AM PDT · October 2, 2026 Image Credits:ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP / Getty Images Russell Brandom Pope Leo XIV is not a fan of AI-generated art Critics of AI-generated art have a powerful new ally: His Holiness the Bishop of Rome (Episcopus Romanus), Primate of Italy (Primatus…
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In Brief Posted: 8:39 AM PDT · October 2, 2026 Image Credits:ALBERTO PIZZOLI/AFP / Getty Images Russell Brandom Pope Leo XIV is not a fan of AI-generated art Critics of AI-generated art have a powerful new ally: His Holiness the Bishop of Rome (Episcopus Romanus), Primate of Italy (Primatus Italiae), and Supreme Pontiff of the Universal Church (Summus Pontifex Ecclesiae Universalis). In a post on X Friday morning, Pope Leo XIV detailed the spiritual difference between human-generated art and art that is generated by machines, as part of a call to preserve human art from the encroachment of AI. “In this era of artificial intelligence, it is becoming urgent to distinguish human art from what machines produce,” the Servus Servorum Dei wrote. “There is an ontological difference, even before an aesthetic one, between art and what a machine can generate through statistical calculation based on millions of images created by others. Algorithms lack the spark of humanity.” Pope Leo XIV gave a more detailed statement on AI in an encyclical letter in May, which emphasized the importance of human dignity in a world of increasing automation. But that hasn’t stopped AI companies from lobbying the supreme pontiff. According to a recent New York Times report, Anthropic has actively lobbied the Vatican to reconsider its position on non-human consciousness — apparently finding little success. Topics AI, Catholicism, In Brief October 13 – 15 San Francisco Get 50% off a second passThe Disrupt experience is meant to be shared. Get your pass and bring a colleague, partner, or peer at 50% off. Cover more ground by making connections, building momentum, and discovering what’s next in the startup ecosystem. BOOK NOW Newsletters See More Subscribe for the industry’s biggest tech news Related TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 TechCrunch Disrupt 2026: Blackstone’s Jas Khaira on building the next generation of AI giants TechCrunch Events 11 hours ago Hardware Vatican embraces social networking, text messaging for Il Papa Contributor May 7, 2008 Hardware iRosary: Worship the Bishop of Rome and Rock Out to Groovy Tunes Nicholas Deleon May 11, 2007 Latest in AI AI Meta wants your next gadget to be Muse-infused Kirsten Korosec 4 hours ago In Brief Sean Parker is rebuilding Stability AI around music Connie Loizos 7 hours ago TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Affected by layoffs? Don’t miss this $75 deal for your TechCrunch Disrupt 2026 Expo+ Pass TechCrunch Events 9 hours ago