Pope Leo XIV on Friday (April 17, 2026) warned against the use of AI to fan “polarisation, conflict, fear and violence” and criticised the “environmental devastation” caused by the extraction of rare earths to fuel the digital boom.

“The challenge posed by these systems is greater than it appears: it is not just about the use of new technologies, but about the gradual replacement of reality by its simulation,” he said in a speech at the Catholic University of Central Africa in Yaounde, Cameroon.

Pope Leo begins an ambitious ‌10-day tour of four countries in Africa on Monday (April 13, 2026), urging global leaders ​to address needs on the continent where more than a fifth ⁠of the world’s Catholics live.

The first U.S. pope heads to Algeria for two days before continuing to Cameroon, Angola and Equatorial Guinea in a whirlwind tour to 11 cities and towns, ‌traversing nearly 18,000 km (11,185 miles) over 18 flights.