After Cardinal Robert Prevost was chosen as the leader of the Catholic Church last week, many wondered why he chose the name Leo XIV.
During his first address to the College of Cardinals, Pope Leo XIV explained that he made the decision as a direct reference to Leo XIII, who was known for addressing the technological transformations of his time.
In his speech, officially translated by the Vatican, he said that like Leo XIII, he will focus on technological innovations and their social impacts throughout his papacy.
“The Church offers to all the treasure of its social doctrine in response to a new industrial revolution and developments in the field of artificial intelligence,” said Pope Leo XIV.
Although his name references a 19th-century pope, the predecessor of Leo XIV, Pope Francis, also addressed technology during his time as pontiff.
In November 2020, Pope Francis remarked that AI “is at the root of the epochal change we are experiencing,” while robotics “can make the world better if it serves the common good.”
But even while emphasizing its positive uses, he warned that AI can generate “partially or entirely false narratives, believed and spread as if they were true.”
Photo and video: Creative Commons. This content was created with the help of AI and reviewed by the editorial team.
