What Pope Leo XIV told College of Cardinals on AI playing a role in his papal name selection

In his first address to the College of Cardinals, Pope Leo XIV , the first American pontiff, unveiled a prophetic vision for the Catholic Church 's future, squarely placing artificial intelligence at the center of contemporary theological and social challenges. His papal name selection , deeply rooted in historical precedent, signals an unprecedented commitment to understanding technology's profound human impact.

Pope Leo XIV , a name inspired by industrial transformation
Pope Leo XIV directly linked his name choice to Pope Leo XIII , who guided the church through the Industrial Revolution. "In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labour," he told the cardinals.

Referencing Leo XIII's landmark 1891 encyclical " Rerum Novarum ," which addressed workers' rights during massive economic shifts, the new pope drew a striking parallel to current technological disruptions. His selection of the papal name demonstrates a deliberate strategy to position the church as a moral compass in an era of rapid technological transformation.

The new pope warns about AI’s dangers
The pope's remarks build upon Pope Francis's earlier warnings about AI's potential dangers. Francis had previously cautioned about AI's capacity to generate "partially or completely false narratives," and Leo XIV appears poised to continue this critical examination of emerging technologies.

"Let us take up this precious legacy and continue on the journey, inspired by the same hope that is born of faith," Leo XIV said, signaling his intention to maintain the church's proactive stance on technological ethics. By explicitly naming AI as a crucial challenge for humanity, the pope has positioned the Catholic Church as a key participant in global conversations about technological development and its human implications.