Pope Warns Against Consumerism As Dependence On AI And E-Commerce Grows

The pope urged Christians Wednesday to return to prayer as more people become dependent on artificial intelligence and material to address their doubts.

“In our time, in contexts dominated by an efficiency-driven and consumerist mindset, prayer may seem pointless and trivial,” Pope Leo XIV told a general audience at St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday, World Catholic Report reported. This comes as more people turn toward artificial intelligence for therapeutic support and the e-commerce market is projected to surpass $7.4 trillion this year.

The Holy See Press Office did not immediately respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment.

Over 83% of scientific studies found a positive correlation between having an active spiritual life and better mental health — with the exception of bipolar disorder and certain psychoses like schizophrenia, Public Square Magazine reported Monday.

However, around 48.7% of AI users who report having mental health issues use Large Language Models for therapeutic support, according to a 2025 survey by Sentio University. Around 21.8% do so daily, Cognitive FX reported in January.

The number of teenagers facing depression increased 59% between 2007 and 2017, Pew Research Center reported in July 2019. Around 46% of Zoomers have been diagnosed with a mental health condition as of May 2025, with anxiety, depression, and ADHD being the most common diagnoses — technology addiction and economic uncertainty appeared to be the biggest contributing factors, Harmony Healthcare IT reported in July.

Multiple studies suggest that worsened self-esteem — a common consequence of each of those conditions — can lead to increased e-commerce shopping. Roughly 47% of e-commerce shoppers buy online at least once a week, SellersCommerce reported in July.

Pope Leo XIV told the audience that more prayer — particularly through the Liturgy of the Hours — could revitalize people’s prayer lives, according to World Catholic Report.

“In a world where science and technology claim to provide all the answers, praying may appear to be a form of escapism,” the American-born supreme pontiff said.