Newly elected Pope Leo XIV has called on the Catholic Church to confront the moral and social challenges posed by artificial intelligence (AI), in his first formal address to the College of Cardinals.
The 68-year-old American-born pontiff, formerly Cardinal Robert Prevost, was elected earlier this week, becoming the first pope from the United States.
In his inaugural speech, Pope Leo emphasised the Church’s historic mission to uphold human dignity and social justice, drawing parallels between the modern AI revolution and the industrial upheaval of the late 19th century.
“Pope Leo XIII, with the Encyclical Rerum Novarum, addressed the social question of his time,” Leo XIV said. “Today, the Church must respond with her social teaching to the transformations brought by artificial intelligence.”
The late Pope Francis, who died last month, was an outspoken advocate for regulating AI and ensuring it remains human-centric.
Leo XIV paid tribute to Francis’s legacy, pledging to continue his vision of a Church committed to ethical leadership in the face of emerging technologies.
The pontiff also made a symbolic visit Saturday to the Madonna sanctuary in Genazzano, managed by the Augustinian order, reflecting his personal and spiritual ties.
He greeted crowds and offered blessings during the visit.
In the same address, cardinals also discussed ongoing concerns about the Church’s relationship with China.
Czech Cardinal Dominik Duka referenced the sensitive 2018 Vatican-China agreement on bishop appointments, noting the importance of maintaining dialogue.
Leo XIV, a former missionary in Peru, assumes the papacy at a time of global technological and geopolitical uncertainty, pledging a renewed focus on justice, peace, and ethical stewardship in the digital age.
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