Man of his word: Pope Leo speeches declared human-authored by Australian AI detection tool

by | Aug 8, 2026 | Religion

Man of his word: Pope Leo speeches declared human-authored by Australian AI detection tool

Proudly Human, an Australian firm led by former chief scientist Dr. Alan Finkel, completed a review of speeches and writings attributed to Pope Leo XIV and certified them as human-created. The analysis was conducted in collaboration with the publisher, Australian Catholic University, and Vatican cardinals.

The timing of the certification drew attention because it occurred shortly after the pope’s first encyclical, released in May, warned of artificial intelligence posing dangers to humanity. That encyclical, titled Magnifica Humanitas, advocated for preventing AI from “dominating humanity” and called for the technology to be made “human-friendly,” widely accessible, and subject to open discussion.

Finkel stated he had significant confidence in the outcome before the review began. The certification process was completed within one day. Authors or their representatives typically must register on the Proudly Human platform, complete identity verification, and sign a declaration affirming that AI was not used to generate initial drafts or individual sentences and paragraphs. The company employs multiple AI detection tools that examine various aspects of writing style and grammar, with Finkel noting the approach involves “a suite of four or five” different systems combined with their own analysis method, tested nightly for reliability.

Finkel expressed his belief that disclosure of authorship methods represents a fundamental right for readers, particularly when evaluating religious guidance. He framed the certification as an alternative to government mandates requiring AI disclosure, allowing people to make informed decisions about content authenticity. Australian Catholic University leadership indicated the certification holds value given the volume of rapidly generated online content, stating it provides confidence that works represent genuine human reflection and judgment.

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