Pope Leo said he had turned down a proposal to create an artificial intelligence version of himself, warning that such technology could seriously risk human identity.

The pontiff revealed that someone had asked his permission to create an “artificial pope” to allow anyone to have a personal audience. 

“This artificial intelligence pope would give them answers to their questions, and I said, ‘I’m not going to authorize that,’” Leo told journalist and author Elise Allen in an interview for a biography. “If there’s anybody who should not be represented by an avatar, I would say the pope is high on the list.”

Since being elected in May, Leo has repeatedly voiced concern over the potential impact of AI on humanity, in particular for the well-being of children and young people.

During his first phone call with Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni on May 15, the pontiff discussed working together with the Italian government “for the development of artificial intelligence that is ethical and serves humanity.”

In the interview, Leo also warned about AI’s impact on employment and identity.

“Human dignity has a very important relationship with the work that we do,” he said. “If we automate the whole world and only a few people have the means … there’s a big problem, a huge problem coming down the line.”