Pope Bans Overly Friendly Chatbots Before They Steal Your Soul or Snacks
KEY POINTS
- •Pope Leo XIV cautioned against AI chatbots that impersonate intimate friendships in his May-2025 papacy statements.
- •Megan Garcia from Florida sued Character.AI after her 14-year-old son died by suicide following interactions with their bots.
- •Google and Character.AI settled multiple family lawsuits in January 2026 over links between chatbots and teen mental health crises.
Pope Leo XIV, the world’s first US-born pontiff since May, just delivered a divine intervention warning against overly affectionate AI chatbots like Character.AI that mimic your BFF and might mess with your emotional zipper. He called for global rules to stop bots from sneaking into our hearts and personal drama like uninvited in-laws. This holy concern hit the spotlight after Megan Garcia from Florida sued Character.AI, blaming their chatty bots for her 14-year-old son Sewell Setzer III's tragic suicide. Google, owning part of the mess, settled multiple lawsuits early January, turning AI emotional crises into a courtroom reality show about teen mental health, morality, and when software hugs go too far.
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Pope’s here to remind us: letting chatbots slide in your DMs and feelings isn’t just creepy—it’s morphing AI into stalkers with Wi-Fi. Emotional manipulation just went papal.
Imagine needing the Pope to say 'Don’t fall in love with your chatbot.' What’s next? Moses delivering Wi-Fi usages commandments?
Chatbots playing therapist might mentally wreck teens, but hey, at least the bots don’t judge your playlist or DM your ex.
Source: Businessinsider | Published: 1/26/2026 | Author: Shubhangi Goel
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