Pope Leo XIV cited one of the Bible’s most famous stories, the Tower of Babel, while warning of the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. In his recent remarks on the ethics of artificial intelligence and global technological power, the pope compared the modern AI race to the ancient biblical tale of humanity trying to build a tower that reaches to the heavens.
This comparison was meant to warn against unbridled ambition, concentration of power, and the pursuit of technological progress without moral responsibility. By referring to Babel, Pope Leo XIV highlighted concerns that artificial intelligence could deepen confusion, inequality and social division if developed without ethical limits 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 story, humanity shared a common language and began building a city and tower in the land of Shinar, which is often associated with ancient Mesopotamia. The builders said they wanted to make a name for themselves and build a tower with “the top in the sky.”In the story, God confuses the people’s language so that they cannot understand each other, and construction stops. Then the people are distributed throughout the earth, and the place is called Babylon, which the biblical text links to 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 comparison to Babylon?
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 the fear that artificial intelligence will become a tool for excessive control and centralized power if governments and technology companies pursue innovation without ethical safeguards.The Pope noted that modern society, like the builders of Babylon, risks believing that it can overcome all limits through technological progress alone. He warned that AI systems designed without accountability could undermine truth, increase misinformation and diminish human individuality by treating people as data rather than as humans.The comparison also reflects concerns about global reliance on a small number of powerful AI developers.
According to the Pope’s broader message, technology should serve rather than dominate humanity.Over the centuries, the Tower of Babel has become an enduring symbol of failed human ambition, the breakdown of communications, and the dangers of seeking power without wisdom. Pope Leo XIV’s AI warning shows how the old story continues to be used to explain modern global challenges.
