Pope Leo XIV named himself with AI in mind. Here's how

In his inaugural address as Pope Leo XIV, he disclosed that his papal name was, in fact, a product of artificial intelligence. He went on to outline the broader vision for his papacy, noting that AI played a role not only in shaping his thinking but also in guiding the selection of the name "Pope Leo XIV." At the same time, he offered a measured perspective on the technology—acknowledging its value as a tool, while cautioning against the complex challenges it presents to the preservation of human dignity, justice, and labour rights.

Two days after his election, the newly appointed Pope—formerly Robert Francis Prevost of Chicago—addressed the College of Cardinals, invoking the legacy of Pope Leo XIII, who led the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903. He drew a compelling parallel between the transformative forces of the 19th-century Industrial Revolution and the disruptive potential of artificial intelligence in today’s world.

Pope Leo XIV explains his choice of name:

"... I chose to take the name Leo XIV. There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution.… pic.twitter.com/bI4F1EBIS8

— Vatican News (@VaticanNews) May 10, 2025

Responding to the question of how AI influenced his choice of name, he explained, “...I chose to take the name Leo XIV. There are different reasons for this, but mainly because Pope Leo XIII, in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum, addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution.”

In recent years, the Catholic Church has intensified its focus on the ethical dimensions of artificial intelligence. A Vatican document released this January—now translated into English—offers a nuanced assessment of AI, probing its limitations, its relationship to truth, and the growing moral concerns surrounding its advancement. The document also references a pointed caution from Pope Francis the previous year, in which he warned of AI’s ability to produce “partially or completely false narratives, believed and broadcast as if they were true.”

Now, Pope Leo XIV has made it clear that he intends to carry forward this legacy. Drawing inspiration from Rerum Novarum, the 1891 encyclical by Pope Leo XIII that addressed the rights of workers during the industrial upheaval of the 19th century, Pope Leo XIV expressed his intention to approach the digital age—and the AI revolution—with the same moral clarity and social commitment.

In his remarks to the College of Cardinals, he called on the Church to respond to the ethical trials of this new era with the same resolve it once showed during the rise of industrial society.

“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 defence of human dignity, justice and labour,” he said.