Pope Leo Denounces Blasphemy in Political Justifications and AI Warfare

Pope Leo criticizes political leaders for using religious beliefs to justify conflicts and nationalist policies, calling it blasphemy against God. He warns against the use of AI in warfare and condemns increased military spending, urging believers to reject such practices ahead of the World Day of Peace.

Pope Leo, the first US pope, has condemned political leaders who use religious beliefs to justify conflicts, labeling it a form of blasphemy. In his message for the Catholic Church's upcoming World Day of Peace, he urged religious believers to resist misuse of faith in political matters.

The pope also spoke out against the growing reliance on artificial intelligence in warfare, warning that delegating decisions of life and death to machines represents a betrayal of humanistic values. These comments reflect his ongoing concerns about the ethical implications of technology in warfare.

Additionally, Pope Leo highlighted a global increase in military spending, with figures from the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute indicating a 9.4% rise in 2024. He criticized the confrontational logic dominating global politics, which he argued is deepening global instability.

(With inputs from agencies.)