Church ministers and faith leaders from across the globe are attending a week-long programme in Rome that organisers say aims to equip them to confront what organisers describe as a surge in “AI‑fuelled” satanic activity and related online harms. According to the announcement from the pontifical Ateneo Pontificio Regina Apostolorum, the Course on the Ministry of Exorcism and Prayer of Deliverance will bring together priests, imams, rabbis and other religious figures for training that this year includes a focus on how artificial intelligence is being used to create and conceal abusive material. [2],[4]

The course’s coordinator, Father Luis Ramirez Almanza, warned at a press conference that modern occultists and abusers are exploiting AI to communicate covertly, mask their identities online and produce graphic imagery to serve illicit rituals. Father Almanza told The Times: "Artificial intelligence is a great power. 'A force for both good and evil , and can therefore be used for devil worshipping.'" The university said the curriculum combines theological, canonical, medical and psychological instruction to support those involved in discernment and deliverance ministry. [2],[6]

Speakers at the event include Father Fortunato Di Noto, founder of the Meter Association, who has linked some AI‑generated child sexual imagery to groups mixing sexual abuse with occult themes. Father Di Noto said: "We believe these groups are using AI to generate images of children involved in satanic rites. 'Using children appeals to them because it's a form of power being exercised over the innocent.'" The Meter Association reported thousands of sexualised images of children produced with AI, and has highlighted their circulation on encrypted messaging services. [6],[5]

Independent law‑enforcement actions and prosecutions illustrate how AI‑made sexual content has become a legal and policing priority. In 2024 British authorities jailed a man for creating and distributing AI‑generated child abuse imagery, and in 2025 Australian investigators charged four men in a probe that police said involved material with ritualistic and satanic elements. Governments and police forces increasingly treat such imagery as a serious criminal matter regardless of whether real children are depicted. [5],[3]

International regulators and politicians are reacting with new laws and inquiries. California enacted statutes in 2024 making it a felony to create, possess or distribute AI‑generated child sexual imagery even when no real child is involved, and Spain opened a criminal probe in early 2026 into major social platforms over alleged facilitation of AI‑generated sexualised deepfakes of minors. These moves reflect mounting pressure on platforms and creators to prevent and remove synthetic abuse imagery. [2],[4]

Researchers and monitoring groups report dramatic increases in synthetic child sexual abuse content, and some analyses point to rapid year‑on‑year growth in AI‑generated videos and images flagged online. Industry observers warn that advances in deepfake tools have lowered technical barriers, enabling the mass production and distribution of exploitative material that can be shared on both encrypted and public networks. At the same time, experts stress that evidence directly tying AI‑created imagery to organised satanic ritual practice remains limited and often circumstantial. [6],[4]

Italian investigators and civil‑society monitors tracking cult activity say they have detected users employing AI to produce symbolic material and to obfuscate communications, though the scale and nature of "satanic" groups vary. Gruppo di Ricerca e Informazione Socio‑religiosa officials say police reports suggest occultist networks exploit digital tools, but researchers caution against conflating online abuse production with widespread organised murderous cults; past cases of violent attempted exorcisms in Italy demonstrate how belief‑driven practices can nonetheless produce tragic real‑world harm. [3],[6]

The Rome course, affiliated with a Vatican‑linked university, arrives amid a broader debate inside the Catholic Church and beyond about the moral and social consequences of AI. Pope Leo has voiced concerns since his election about technology’s potential to undermine dignity and privacy, while secular regulators pursue criminal sanctions and platform investigations. Course organisers portray the training as a pastoral and protective response to new technological risks, even as legal authorities and digital‑safety groups press for enforcement, platform accountability and clearer evidence about how synthetic abuse imagery is used. [2],[4]

Source Reference Map

Inspired by headline at: [1]

Sources by paragraph:

Source: Noah Wire Services