Pope Leo XIV has rejected the idea of an AI Pope, saying in an interview with biographer Eloise Allen that “if there’s anybody who should not be represented by an avatar, I would say the Pope is high on the list” (first spotted by The Register). Pope Leo, who is forthright about his views on the new technology, also said that he had been asked for his authorisation to create an AI Pope
“Someone recently asked authorization to create an artificial me so that anybody could sign onto this website and have a personal audience with ‘the Pope’,” said the pontiff. “This artificial intelligence Pope would give them answers to their questions, and I said, ‘I’m not going to authorize that’.”
Meanwhile, the Dalai Lama has said that he might reincarnate as a computer someday once they’re powerful enough.
Until we can build a PKE meter to actually measure whether souls are present in particular objects it’s just duelling religion.
He better watch out for Winamp!