

“Did Pope Leo Really Say That?” How to Spot AI-Generated Catholic Content (Special Podcast Highlight)
Image via bella1105 / Shutterstock.
Patrick Madrid and Producer Cyrus just served up a Best of the Week moment on The Patrick Madrid Show, and it’s one of those “wait… what??” stories that will make you think twice about what you come across online. Here’s the scoop:
The Email That Sparked It All:
Mike from Arizona wrote in with a head-scratcher. He stumbled upon a YouTube video claiming to be a speech from Pope Leo. He asked: “Wait, is this even real?” So naturally, he turned to Patrick Madrid.
Grok: The AI Detective
Patrick and Cyrus took Mike’s link and dropped it into Grok, a snazzy AI-powered search tool. They asked:
“Hey Grok, is this video real… or AI fakery?”
Grok’s verdict: “AI-generated.”
Does It Sound Like Pope Leo XIV? Just because something sounds good, doesn’t mean it’s legit. Cyrus hit the nail on the head:
“It’s so easy to fall into the trap of seeing something online that affirms what I already think.”
Even if the message is doctrinally fine, using a fake voice to deliver it is misleading. Truth deserves honesty, not a holy deepfake.
“Fictitious Pope Leo”?
One funny twist: Grok called Pope Leo a “fictitious figure.”
Patrick and Cyrus responded:
“Uhh... he is literally the Pope."
So yeah, even Grok has some news to catch up on.
Verify Everything
Patrick borrowed a gem from Ronald Reagan:
“Trust... but verify.”
Then tweaked it for our times:
“Actually... don’t trust. Just verify.”
Especially when it comes to flashy online content with sacred-sounding messages.
Wanna Chime In?
Send your questions to patrick@relevantradio.com
He might just crack your case next.