ROME (Realist English). AI-generated videos and audio clips of Pope Leo XIV are proliferating rapidly across social media, drawing millions of views and highlighting the growing challenge of moderating synthetic content involving public figures.
An AFP investigation revealed at least dozens of YouTube and TikTok accounts producing AI-generated sermons, speeches, and commentary attributed to the newly elected pontiff, who assumed leadership of the Catholic Church just weeks ago. The content, often voiced in English and Spanish, mimics the pope’s tone and delivery with startling accuracy—despite being entirely fabricated.
“There’s natural interest in what the new pope has to say, and people don’t yet know his stance and style,” said Oren Etzioni, founder of TrueMedia.org and professor emeritus at the University of Washington. “It’s a perfect opportunity to sow mischief with AI-generated misinformation.”
AFP submitted 26 YouTube channels to the platform for review. In response, YouTube terminated 16 channels for violating policies on deceptive practices, and another for breaching its terms of service. Six more were removed from YouTube’s monetization program, according to spokesperson Jack Malon.
TikTok also removed 11 accounts flagged by AFP, collectively followed by over 1.3 million users. A TikTok spokesperson said the content violated policies against impersonation and misleading AI-generated media featuring public figures.
The fake accounts—named things like “Pope Leo XIV Vision”—frequently published dramatic monologues purportedly from the pontiff, touching on issues ranging from gender roles to global politics. Many lacked any clear disclaimers indicating the use of artificial intelligence.
YouTube requires creators to disclose “altered or synthetic content” when someone is made to appear saying something they did not. But the platform places such notices in the expandable video description, often overlooked by viewers. In response to AFP’s findings, YouTube has added more visible labels to some flagged content.
TikTok similarly mandates disclosure of realistic AI usage, though enforcement remains inconsistent. The platform says it deploys proactive moderation tools and uses verified badges to indicate authentic public figure accounts.
Yet the reach of the fake content has proven formidable. One Spanish-language TikTok clip falsely showing Pope Leo XIV extolling “strong women” attracted 9.6 million views. Another, tagged as AI but still widely believed, reached 32.9 million views—far eclipsing any post on the pope’s official Instagram, which has not topped 6 million views.
Experts warn that even “soft” deepfakes—those without overtly harmful messaging—pose a risk. “They corrode the pope’s moral authority and make whatever he actually says less believable,” said Brian Patrick Green, director of technology ethics at Santa Clara University. Worse, such accounts can build audiences on false premises and later pivot to disinformation or politicized narratives.
Some fakes have already sparked controversy. Vatican News recently debunked a viral deepfake showing Pope Leo XIV allegedly praising Burkina Faso’s military ruler Ibrahim Traoré, who seized power in a 2022 coup. AFP also identified fake clips of the pontiff criticizing U.S. Vice President JD Vance and Peru’s President Dina Boluarte—both unsubstantiated.
Pope Leo XIV himself has warned of AI’s dangers, calling for global governance and ethical limits on its deployment.
“There’s a real crisis here,” Green said. “We’re going to have to figure out some way to know whether things are real or fake.”
As synthetic media becomes more accessible and convincing, platforms face mounting pressure to refine their detection tools, enforcement strategies, and user education campaigns—before public trust in real leaders begins to erode irreparably.
