New Pope Chooses the Name Leo XIV, Citing Artificial Intelligence

The first symbolic act of the new Pope was his decision to take the name Leo XIV — a choice directly linked to the modern challenges posed by the rapid development of artificial intelligence. He announced this in his first address to the College of Cardinals, according to the American online publication The Verge.

Explaining the reasoning behind the decision, Pope Leo XIV referred to his namesake Leo XIII, who at the end of the 19th century issued the social encyclical Rerum Novarum, where the Catholic Church first systematically addressed social issues during the Industrial Revolution. According to the Pontiff, the world today is undergoing another major technological transformation — this time driven by the rise of artificial intelligence.

“I chose the name Leo XIV… because Pope Leo XIII, in his historic encyclical Rerum Novarum, addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. Today, the Church once again offers its treasury of social teaching in response to the challenges of a new technological revolution and the development of artificial intelligence,” the newly elected Pope stated.

As a reminder, on May 12, 2025, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky held his first phone call with Pope Leo XIV, during which he invited the Pontiff to visit Ukraine.