Pope Leo XIV has referenced one of the Bible’s most famous stories, the Tower of Babel, when warning about the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. In recent comments about AI ethics and global technological power, the pontiff compared the modern AI race to the ancient Biblical story of humanity attempting to build towers that reach to the heavens. The purpose of the comparison was to warn against uncontrolled ambition, concentration of power, and the pursuit of technological progress without moral responsibility. By referencing Babel, Pope Leo XIV highlighted concerns that artificial intelligence could deepen confusion, inequality and social division if developed without ethical boundaries and human oversight.
What is the Tower of Babel?
The Tower of Babel is a story from the Book of Genesis in the Bible. According to the legend, humanity once shared a single language and began building a city and a tower in the land of Shinar, often associated with ancient Mesopotamia. The builders said that they wanted to make a name for themselves and build a tower whose top would reach heaven.In the story, God confuses the language of the people so that they cannot understand each other, and creation stops. People are then scattered throughout the earth, and the place is called Babel, which the Biblical text associates with the confusion of human language. The story has traditionally been interpreted as a warning about human pride, ambition, and the limits of human power.
Why did Pope Leo XIV use the Babel comparison?
Pope Leo XIV used the Tower of Babel as a symbolic warning about the direction of modern technology, especially artificial intelligence. His comments focused on fears that AI could become a tool of excessive control and centralized power if governments and technology companies pursue innovation without ethical safeguards.The Pope suggested that, like the builders of Babel, modern society risks believing that it can overcome all limitations through technological progress alone. He warned that AI systems designed without accountability could undermine the truth, increase misinformation and diminish human individuality by treating people as data rather than human beings.The comparison also reflected concerns about global reliance on a small number of powerful AI developers. According to the Pope’s broader message, technology should serve humanity rather than dominate it.Over the centuries, the Tower of Babel has become an enduring symbol of failed human ambition, communication breakdowns, and the dangers of achieving power without knowledge. Pope Leo XIV’s AI warning shows how the ancient story is being used to explain modern global challenges.