Orthodox Church leader says faith is humanity's safeguard against the 'impending robotocracy'

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — The spiritual leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians has said that religious faith should serve as humanity’s safeguard amid rapidly advancing technology and what he described as the “impending robotocracy.”

Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, 85, said that Orthodox tradition preserves “valuable human-centric wisdom” essential for navigating a world of accelerating technological change and automation.

His comments during an event at Athens University reflect growing concerns across major branches of Christianity — and ongoing dialogue between them — about artificial intelligence’s potential impact on human dignity and social structures, as well as the dangers posed by autonomous weapons systems.

“In a world of rapid change, an upheaval of values, and dizzying technological advances — from artificial intelligence to the impending robotocracy — our Church proclaims that ‘there is nothing more sacred than the human being, with whom God Himself shared His nature,’” Bartholomew said.

The patriarch, who is based in Istanbul, Turkey, made the remarks late Wednesday in a speech published on Thursday.

Religious tradition, the patriarch said, “upholds the absolute priority of the person over systems … and the need for an education that cultivates and supports the spiritual nature of humanity.”

While not opposing technological advancement, Bartholomew emphasized the need for innovation to remain human-centered.

The comments echo similar concerns raised by other Christian leaders, who increasingly frame their responses to AI and robotics through theological perspectives on human uniqueness, free will, and spiritual nature.

In guidance issued by the Vatican in January, the Catholic Church said applications of AI “must all be evaluated to ensure they respect human dignity and promote the common good.”

The head of the Anglican Church traveled to Rome last year to sign the Call for AI Ethics — an initiative backed by the Italian government and supported by tech giants IBM and Microsoft.

Bartholomew, who is on a weeklong visit to Greece, met Thursday with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis days after they both attended the funeral of Pope Francis.