The Catholic Church already has a new Pope, with its own vision of the challenges facing the institution and the world. Robert Prevost, now Leo XIV, considers that technological development and, specifically, the artificial intelligence, As well as their impact on human nature and values, they are one of them. With such relevance that they have even influenced their choice of potato name.

In his speech before the Cardinal College on May 10, he has exposed the his papacy vision. With continuous will, Leo XIV assures that he will focus, among many other things, in the “synodality” of the Church, “The love care of the weak” and “The brave and confident dialogue with the contemporary world in its different components and realities”

Precisely in that meeting, he has also exposed the reasons for the choice of his name, which are closely linked to the current social, political and economic context, and also to the technological reality of the moment. Find your inspiration in Leo XIII, whose pontificate took place between 1878 and 1903.

“There are several reasons, but the main one is because Pope Leo XIII, with the historical encyclical Rerum Novarum, faced the social issue in the context of the first great industrial revolution”, Said the new Pope, according to the speech collected on the Vatican website.“Today the Church offers all its equity of social doctrine to respond to another industrial revolution and the developments of artificial intelligence, which involve new challenges in the defense of human dignity, justice and work”

The Catholic Church and artificial intelligence

Leo XIV thus collects the vision of Pope Francis, Who reflected on several occasions about artificial intelligence, mainly to warn of their risks and dangers, although it has also indicated the opportunities it can provide for economic development. Thus, Francisco considered the machines as a “Technical Extension of Man“And therefore,”They can be an instrument of love service or hostile domination”

He commented in January of last year, during the celebration of the 58th World Day of Social Communications. At that time Pope Francis pointed out that the evolution of AI systems “It is radically modifying information and communication and, through them, some of the foundations of civil coexistence”, And that the enthusiasm and disorientation that these advances raise place people before Fundamental questions about human nature.

He also reflected on the Deepfakessince he himself was the victim of them. The image of Pope Francis wearing a feathers supposedly designed by Balenciaga was viral for days. It was created by a young man dedicated to the construction sector in Chicago, and shared that he created it using Midjourney under the effects of hallucinogenic mushrooms.

Francisco defended the need to promote A regulation of artificial intelligence, and also put in valuer journalism and the work of information professionals to provide experience and critical thinking. Also pointed out other aspects related to ethics, such as authorship or responsibility in the dissemination of false or confusing information.

The predecessor of Leo XIV commented that from a process of deep reflection it would be defined if AI would result in a new slavery or, on the other hand, a conquest of freedom. “The answer is not written, it depends on us. It corresponds to the man to decide if he becomes food of algorithms or instead feeds his heart with freedom, that heart without which we would not grow in wisdom. She will also help us guide artificial intelligence systems to fully human communication“, said.