Russian Church Warns on AI-Generated Icons
The Russian Orthodox Church urged caution in using AI-created items in sacred contexts, following reports of an AI-generated icon of Saint Carlo Acutis being blessed in a Belarusian church. The icon, depicting the saint with a laptop, was blessed on October 11 in Novolukomle.
Consensus
- The Russian Orthodox Church (RПЦ) advised caution in using AI-created items in religious contexts.
- An AI-generated icon of Saint Carlo Acutis was blessed in a church in Novolukomle, Belarus.
- The icon was created using artificial intelligence and features Saint Carlo Acutis with a laptop.
- The blessing took place on October 11.
- Saint Carlo Acutis was a programmer who died at 15 from leukemia and was later canonized by Pope Francis in 2025.
- The icon was blessed in a Catholic church, specifically the Church of Saint Mary Magdalene in Novolukomle.
- The Church emphasized the need to preserve the human and personal element in sacred matters.
Points of divergence
- The icon was blessed by Archbishop Emeritus Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz. — riamo
- The icon was blessed alongside a chapel dedicated to Saint Francis of Assisi. — vesti
- The icon was created in Belarus and is the first of its kind to be blessed there. — riamo
- Carlo Acutis was born in London in 1991, moved to Milan with his parents, and was buried in Assisi at his request. — vesti
Coverage (2 sources)
- Neural network icons: the Russian Orthodox Church has expressed its opinion — РИАМО
- In the Russian Orthodox Church warned about risks of using AI in sacred sphere — Вести