During a visit to Cameroon, Pope Leo XIV raised his voice against the excesses of artificial intelligence, while also taking numerous social and political stances on the African continent.

Strong words. On the third day of his tour, the pontiff warned against the use of AI, denouncing its role in "polarization, conflict, fear, and violence." Speaking to students in Yaoundé, he cautioned about "the gradual replacement of reality by its simulation."

"When simulation becomes the norm," we live "as if in bubbles impermeable to one another, we feel threatened by anyone who is different," he said, referring to a "transformation of the very relationship to truth."

more than 120,000 faithful in Douala

But beyond the digital realm, Leo XIV also addressed the continent's structural challenges. He urged Cameroonian youth to "serve their country" and called for a fight against corruption. The Pope also denounced "the hidden face of the environmental and social devastation caused by the frantic race for raw materials and rare earth elements."

In Douala, more than 120,000 worshippers attended an open-air mass in a fervent atmosphere, chanting "Viva il Papa" upon his arrival. It was a powerful moment, despite the turnout being lower than the authorities had anticipated.

Adopting an unusually aggressive tone, the head of the Catholic Church also denounced "the harm caused from the outside, by those who, in the name of profit, continue to seize the African continent to exploit and plunder it."