Pope Criticises AI Art As Vatican Seeks New Alliance With Artists
The pontiff said algorithms "lack the spark of humanity," as the Vatican moves to renew ties with artists and cultural institutions.
The pontiff has criticised art produced by artificial intelligence, saying algorithms "lack the spark of humanity." The remarks place the Vatican among the institutions weighing in on how machine-generated images should be treated.
Alongside the criticism, the Vatican said it wants to renew an alliance with artists and cultural institutions, presenting the partnership as a way to protect the human element of artistic creation.
Part of a wider debate
AI image generators have drawn scrutiny over authorship, provenance and the use of training data, questions that have also surfaced in the market for digital collectibles, where creators have adopted AI tools and provenance is often recorded on-chain.
The Vatican's position appears cultural rather than technical, and no specific policy measures were outlined. The broader argument over machine-made art continues across museums, copyright offices and digital marketplaces.