Don't let AI do your homework, Pope Leo tells US youth

Leo, the first US Pope, spoke for 40 minutes with youth, taking faith questions and offering school advice

Artificial intelligence may be a useful tool for learning, but don't use it for your homework, Pope Leo told about 15,000 US youth during a question-and-answer session on Friday.

In a live video transmission from the Vatican to a national Catholic youth conference in Indianapolis, Indiana, Leo told the young people that AI is "becoming one of the defining features of our time."

"Using AI responsibly means using it in ways that help you grow," said the pope. "Don't ask it to do your homework for you."

Leo, the first US pope, spoke for about 40 minutes with the youth in the first such event of his six-month papacy, answering questions about the Catholic faith and giving advice on how to make friends in school.

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The pope, who has been ramping up criticism of US President Donald Trump's anti-immigration policies, also briefly spoke about politics.

He said Jesus wants Christians to be "people who build bridges instead of walls," invoking one of the late Pope Francis' strongest criticisms of Trump.

"Please be careful not to use political categories to speak about faith, to speak about the Church," Leo told the young people.

"The Church doesn't belong to any political party," he said. "Rather, she helps form your conscience … so you can think and act with wisdom and love."