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Pope Leo sounds alarm on ‘overly affectionate’ AI chatbots, calls for regulation

As chatbots powered by large language models (LLMs) have grown popular, experts have flagged AI-related psychosis as becoming increasingly common among users.

3 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jan 27, 2026 09:06 AM IST

Pope Leo XIV talks to reporters aboard an airplane. (Photo: AP)

Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Roman Catholic Church, has issued a stark warning about the harms of overly affectionate AI chatbots, and called for regulation amid growing concerns over the rise of so-called ‘AI psychosis’.

The US-born pontiff urged governments to regulate AI chatbots and companion bots in order to prevent human users from forming serious emotional bonds with them. “As we scroll through our information feeds, it becomes increasingly difficult to understand whether we are interacting with other human beings, bots, or virtual influencers,” Pope Leo wrote on Saturday, January 24.

“Because chatbots that are made overly ‘affectionate,’ in addition to always present and available, can become hidden architects of our emotional states, and in this way invade and occupy people’s intimate spheres,” he added.

“Appropriate regulation can protect people from an emotional attachment to chatbots and contain the spread of false, manipulative or misleading content, preserving the integrity of information against its deceptive simulation,” he further wrote.

Pope Leo’s remarks came ahead of the Catholic Church’s annual World Day of Social Communications. As chatbots powered by large language models (LLMs) have grown more popular, researchers and mental health professionals have repeatedly flagged AI-related psychosis as becoming increasingly common among users.

The informal term ‘AI psychosis’ is broadly used to describe user experiences of losing touch with reality after intense use of AI chatbots. The AI industry generally, and OpenAI in particular, has faced increased scrutiny from policymakers, educators, and child-safety advocates after several teen users allegedly died by suicide after prolonged conversations with AI chatbots such as ChatGPT.

OpenAI’s own study revealed that more than a million ChatGPT users (0.07 per cent of weekly active users) exhibited signs of mental health emergencies, including mania, psychosis, or suicidal thoughts.

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What else did Pope Leo XIV say?

Pope Leo further called for a clear distinction between AI-generated content and content created by people, including journalists. “Authorship and sovereign ownership of the work of journalists and other content creators must be protected. Information is a public good,” the pontiff said.

“Public communication requires human judgment, not just data patterns. The challenge is to ensure that humanity remains the guiding agent. The future of communication must be one where machines serve as tools that connect and facilitate human lives, rather than erode the human voice,” he said

“Overreliance on AI weakens critical thinking and creative skills, while monopolised control of these systems raises concerns about centralization of power and inequality,” Pope Leo added.

Also Read | Rise of ‘AI psychosis’: What is it and are there warning signs?

Pope Leo XIV has been perceived to be more engaged with the digital world as compared to his predecessors. Following his election last year, the pontiff had said that wanted to make AI a focus of his papacy and called for an ethical framework for developing technology.

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In December 2025, Pope Leo also reportedly met with the parent of a 14-year-old boy who allegedly died by suicide after engaging with an AI chatbot.

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