Pope Leo XIV’s Early Focus on AI Signals a Church Leader Attuned to Modern Perils
- Pope Leo XIV, newly elected as the first American-born pope, has identified artificial intelligence (AI) as a critical challenge to human dignity, justice, and labor, making it a central focus of his papacy.
- Drawing inspiration from his namesake, Pope Leo XIII, and his predecessor, Pope Francis, Leo aims to address the ethical implications of AI while continuing the church’s mission of inclusivity and care for the marginalized.
- In his first formal audience and a symbolic outing to a sanctuary south of Rome, Leo has begun to carve out a papacy that blends tradition with a forward-looking concern for technology’s impact on humanity.
Pope Leo XIV, elected just two days ago as the first American-born pontiff, has wasted no time in setting a bold agenda for his papacy. In his inaugural formal audience with the cardinals who chose him, held in the Vatican’s New Synod Hall, Leo delivered a powerful message: artificial intelligence (AI) represents one of the most pressing challenges facing humanity today. Speaking in Italian, he emphasized the technology’s potential to undermine human dignity, justice, and labor, echoing concerns raised by his predecessor, Pope Francis, who passed away on April 21. Leo’s early focus on AI, as reported by The New York Times, marks him as a church leader who grasps the gravity of modern technological perils while remaining rooted in the Catholic Church’s historical engagement with progress.
The church has long played a role in technological advancement, a point underscored by Brian Patrick Green, director of technology ethics at Santa Clara University. Green notes that medieval Catholic monks pioneered labor-saving innovations like tidal-powered water wheels, and the church supported Catholic inventors who created tools such as the barometer and early calculators. However, as Green explains, the immense power of modern technology has brought its potential downsides into sharp focus. Pope Leo’s recognition of AI as a “main challenge for humanity” reflects an awareness that the stakes are higher than ever. He sees parallels between today’s digital revolution and the industrial age, drawing inspiration from Pope Leo XIII, who served from 1878 to 1903 and addressed workers’ rights and capitalism in his landmark 1891 encyclical, Rerum Novarum. The current Leo, in choosing his papal name, signaled his intent to build on this legacy, stating that the church must offer its social teaching as a response to “another industrial revolution” driven by AI.
Leo’s vision for his papacy, articulated during Saturday’s audience, also shows a deep commitment to continuity with Pope Francis’s priorities. He repeatedly cited Francis’s 2013 mission statement, The Joy of the Gospel, as a guiding document, pledging to make the Catholic Church more inclusive, attentive to the faithful, and focused on the “least and rejected.” Like Francis, who became increasingly vocal about AI’s dangers toward the end of his pontificate, Leo warns of the risk that such powerful technology could reduce human relationships to mere algorithms. Francis had called for an international treaty to regulate AI, a stance he took to global platforms like the Group of Seven summit last year, insisting that decisions—especially those involving weapons or tools—must remain in human hands. Leo’s alignment with this perspective suggests he will carry forward Francis’s advocacy for human-centric AI, ensuring that compassion, mercy, morality, and forgiveness remain at the core of technological development.
Beyond his focus on AI, Leo is already making the papacy his own through symbolic gestures and personal touches. On the same day as his first formal audience, he made an after-lunch outing to the Madre del Buon Consiglio sanctuary south of Rome in Genazzano, a site of particular significance to his Augustinian order and to his namesake, Pope Leo XIII, who elevated it to a minor basilica in the early 1900s. The sanctuary, managed by Augustinian friars and a place of pilgrimage since the 15th century, drew townspeople to its square as Leo greeted and blessed them. After praying in the church, he spoke to the crowd about their “gift and responsibility” in having the Madonna in their midst before departing in a modest black Volkswagen, flanked by Vatican security. This visit, blending personal devotion with public engagement, hints at a papacy that will balance tradition with accessibility.
Leo’s background as Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States adds another layer to his historic election. As the first American pope, he brings a unique perspective to the role, though his early actions suggest a universal outlook. In his speech, he reaffirmed his commitment to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, which modernized the church in the 1960s, and stressed the importance of listening to the faithful, particularly through “popular piety” and authentic expressions of faith. Even his delivery—reading from prepared texts during both the audience and his first appearance on the loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica on Thursday night—reflects a deliberate, thoughtful approach to leadership. Whether those texts were drafted before or in the hours after his election, they reveal a man who has long contemplated the weight of this role.
Pope Leo XIV stands at a crossroads of tradition and innovation. His early emphasis on AI as a threat to humanity positions him as a forward-thinking leader, unafraid to confront the ethical dilemmas of the 21st century. Yet, his reverence for the church’s social teachings, his homage to Francis’s legacy, and his personal connection to historical figures like Leo XIII ground him in a deep sense of continuity. As he greeted the cardinals with a standing ovation and spoke of “courageous dialogue with the contemporary world,” it became clear that Leo intends to lead a church that is both a moral compass and a participant in global challenges. With AI at the forefront of his concerns, alongside a mission of inclusivity and care for the marginalized, Pope Leo XIV is poised to shape a papacy that speaks to both the timeless and the urgent.