Pope Leo warns a 'paradise of machines' could undermine humanity on his France visit

PARIS — 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.

State of the World from NPR The pope visits France. Barbeque unites on South Africa's Heritage Day 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.