Pope warns a 'paradise of machines' could undermine humanity as he opens France trip

Pope Leo XIV, left, and French President Emmanuel Macron, attend a joint statement at the Elysee Palace, Friday, Sept. 25, 2026. Teresa Suarez/AP POOL hide caption toggle caption Teresa Suarez/AP POOL Pope Leo XIV warned Friday that a "paradise of machines" risked undermining humanity as he opened a trip to France by posing fundamental questions about what it means to be human in the age of artificial intelligence, a nuclear arms race and other threats to life itself. Leo raised existential concerns about scientific progress, life and human rights during his opening speech to President Emmanuel Macron and authorities at the Élysée Palace and then to diplomats and United Nations employees at the headquarters of UNESCO, the U.N. culture and education organization. With wars plaguing Europe and the Middle East, he reaffirmed the Vatican's opposition to nuclear weapons and said the nuclear deterrence doctrine was "mistaken" since it was just fueling a new arms race. "Peace is not a balance of power; rather, it is built day by day through dialogue and justice," he said. Leo has an intense four days in France, where the Catholic Church has lost ground in influencing ethical issues given ...