In a significant and deeply personal first address since his election, Pope Leo XIV, the newly elected head of the Catholic Church and the first American pontiff, has set a bold tone for his papacy—naming artificial intelligence (AI) as one of the most profound challenges facing the global community today. Speaking to the world’s cardinals on Saturday from the Vatican, Leo not only honored the legacy of his predecessor, the late Pope Francis, but also signaled a forward-looking vision grounded in continuity, dignity, and social justice in the age of technological disruption.
A Papacy Defined by Change and Continuity
The address marked Pope Leo’s first formal engagement with the College of Cardinals since his election. Delivered in Italian, the speech reflected both reverence and urgency: a reverence for the legacy of Francis, whose recent passing left the global Church in mourning, and an urgency to confront what Leo called a “new frontier in human ethics”—artificial intelligence.
Pope Leo’s approach strikes a balance between tradition and transformation. His chosen papal name, Leo XIV, is a nod to Pope Leo XIII, the 19th-century pontiff known for his ground-breaking encyclical Rerum Novarum, which advocated for workers’ rights during the first industrial revolution. In drawing this parallel, Pope Leo XIV made it clear that he sees AI as this generation’s industrial revolution—one that must be shaped by social teaching, ethical oversight, and a steadfast commitment to human dignity.
“As Pope Leo XIII responded to the machines of his time,” he said, “so must we respond to the algorithms of ours.”
The Moral Weight of AI
The pontiff emphasized that while AI offers extraordinary potential for innovation and growth, it also presents significant moral risks—especially around labor rights, human justice, and the preservation of interpersonal relationships.
Leo’s stance aligns closely with the warnings of Pope Francis, who in his final year of life repeatedly cautioned that AI must remain human-centric. Francis warned world leaders at the 2023 G7 summit that the decision to use tools of war—or even benign technologies—must never be left to autonomous systems. He called for a global framework, possibly in the form of an international treaty, to govern AI’s reach and regulation.
Leo echoed these concerns, suggesting that unregulated AI threatens to reduce human experience to mathematical optimization, stripping relationships, decisions, and even compassion of their essence. He called on religious, political, and scientific leaders alike to engage in “a new conversation about ethics and purpose in the digital age.”
A Surprise Pilgrimage and a Personal Connection
In an unannounced gesture of humility and devotion, Pope Leo later journeyed to the small town of Genazzano, south of Rome, to visit the Madonna of Good Counsel Sanctuary—a shrine closely tied to his Augustinian background. Locals gathered in the square as he quietly shook hands, offered blessings, and entered the sanctuary in private prayer. The visit underscored his personal connection to his religious roots and his desire to remain grounded amidst the grandeur of the papal office.
This was not Leo’s first visit to the shrine; he came as a cardinal the previous year, and the site has held deep significance for him ever since. Managed by Augustinian friars, the sanctuary has been a place of pilgrimage since the 15th century. For Pope Leo, it appears to be a spiritual anchor as he begins a demanding and historic role.
A Papacy Rooted in Global Awareness
Though relatively unknown on the global stage before his election, Pope Leo brings deep missionary experience from Peru and a quiet, pastoral approach. As Robert Prevost, he served faithfully in Latin America and more recently as a senior Vatican official. His election came at a moment of reflection within the Church, as it faced calls for reform, renewal, and clear moral leadership in a rapidly evolving world.
During the gathering, discussions reportedly touched on other pressing global matters, including the delicate issue of Catholicism in China. According to Czech Cardinal Dominik Duka, the topic of the Vatican’s controversial 2018 agreement with Beijing on the appointment of bishops resurfaced. While critics argue the deal compromises Church independence, defenders, like Duka, view it as a pragmatic necessity for keeping open lines of communication in regions where the Church is under pressure.
A Legacy Begins
Pope Leo’s first address to the cardinals was notable not only for its clarity but also for its tone of grounded conviction. His remarks wove together historical awareness, ethical clarity, and pastoral concern. There was no grand theatrical flourish—just a determined call to face the complexities of the modern world with spiritual wisdom and social compassion.
In his words, Pope Leo described Pope Francis’s work as a “precious legacy” and made it clear that he sees his mission not as a rupture from the past, but as a renewal of its core values—updated for the present moment.
As artificial intelligence reshapes the economic, social, and ethical landscape of the 21st century, the leadership of Pope Leo XIV may come to define how one of the world’s oldest institutions chooses to respond—not with fear or technophobia, but with discernment, solidarity, and moral clarity.
In doing so, the Vatican under Leo’s leadership positions itself not as an observer of the AI revolution—but as a deeply engaged voice in shaping its soul.
