Russia's Patriarch Kirill malfunctions, repeats AI doomsday speech in State Duma

The patriarch took the stage at the State Duma to issue a dire warning: artificial intelligence might just be the red carpet for the Antichrist’s grand entrance - but did his best impression of a malfunctioning AI himself — repeating the exact same passage again during his speech. 

With a sense of urgency, he insisted that AI must serve humanity and remain under strict human control — lest it evolve beyond mere chatbots and into something truly nefarious. According to Patriarch Kirill, the next wave of AI — so-called "general artificial intelligence" — will soon rise. These machines, he warned, could start thinking for themselves, learning, and even improving — just like humans.

He even likened AI to nuclear energy, suggesting it could be the ultimate gateway to the Antichrist.

"The Antichrist will not appear from the heavens or from hell," the patriarch dramatically declared.

"He cannot emerge in an environment that rejects him. His development will only be possible in a context that supports him. And it is unknown what role artificial intelligence will play in this apocalyptic scenario."

Just in case anyone missed it the first time, he later paraphrased the statement while doubling down on his nuclear energy comparison.