Pope Francis, in a written message delivered at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Thursday, urged political, economic, and business leaders to closely monitor the advancement of artificial intelligence, cautioning that the technology has the potential to worsen a growing "crisis of truth." Addressing the annual meeting that has a partial focus on A.I. this year, the pontiff acknowledged the capabilities of the technology but also highlighted "critical concerns" regarding the future of humanity. The capabilities of A.I. can be nearly identical to human abilities, thereby raising concerns about its impact on the escalating crisis of truth in public discourse, stated Francis. He emphasized the importance for governments and businesses to be diligent and vigilant in navigating the complexities of A.I., as expressed in the statement read on his behalf by Cardinal Peter Turkson, a Vatican official, at the Davos gathering. Since assuming leadership of the 1.4 billion-member Catholic Church in 2013, Francis has been actively engaged in discussions concerning the ethical implications of artificial intelligence. He underscored the significance of individuals not allowing algorithms to determine their fate during the Group of Seven summit in Italy last June. Additionally, the pope fell victim to a viral deepfake photo—generated by an image manipulation program—that falsely depicted him donning an ankle-length white puffer coat.