In a recent address to the College of Cardinals, Pope Leo XIV articulated his vision for the papacy and explained the significance behind his chosen name, revealing a notable influence from the realm of artificial intelligence.
According to the Vatican’s translation of his speech, the name Leo XIV pays homage to Pope Leo XII, who led the church during the early days of the industrial revolution.
“I chose to take the name Leo XIV for several reasons, primarily because Pope Leo XIII, in his groundbreaking Encyclical Rerum Novarum, addressed social issues in the context of the initial industrial revolution. In contemporary times, the Church presents the richness of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and the evolution of artificial intelligence, which raises new challenges for safeguarding human dignity, justice, and labor.”
The excerpt was published by the Catholic News Service.
In recent years, the Catholic Church has shown a growing interest in the developments surrounding artificial intelligence. A document released by the Vatican in January examined the capabilities and limitations of AI, its truthfulness, and the ethical considerations involved in its creation and application. The document also referenced a prior warning from Pope Francis about the risks of AI generating “partially or completely false narratives that are accepted and disseminated as truth.”
While Pope Francis laid the groundwork for the Church’s perspective on AI, Pope Leo XIV’s emphasis on the topic in relation to his name suggests it will play a prominent role in the Church’s agenda during his tenure.
