The selection of a new pope’s name is rich with symbolism that reflects the values he aims to uphold, especially in light of the critical issues he identifies as the leader of the Catholic Church. This name choice serves as a beacon, illuminating the guiding principles that will shape his papacy.

For Pope Leo XIV, the focus on artificial intelligence is central to his name selection. This decision signifies a recognition of the transformative power of technology and its implications for society.

Born Robert Francis Prevost, the new pope adopted his papal name as a tribute to Pope Leo XIII (1810-1903), who led the Catholic Church during the profound changes brought forth by the Industrial Revolution. This era marked a significant shift in social structures and economic practices, paralleling the current AI boom, which Pope Leo XIV perceives as another pivotal point of rapid societal transformation.

In his address to the College of Cardinals on Saturday, Pope Leo XIV elaborated on his name choice, drawing explicit comparisons between these transformative historical periods. He articulated how both phases demand thoughtful leadership and a deep understanding of social justice issues.

“Recognizing a call to follow a similar path, I chose to take the name Leo XIV. There are various motivations behind this decision, but primarily it is because Pope Leo XIII, in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum, addressed the social question during the first major industrial revolution. Today, the Church offers everyone the wealth of her social teachings in response to another industrial revolution, as well as to advancements in artificial intelligence that present new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor rights.

Pope Leo XIII was distinguished for his advocacy of social equality and labor rights during the tumultuous period of industrialization when workers transitioned from traditional craftsmanship and agriculture to mass production factories under poor, low-wage conditions. He also placed great emphasis on individual human rights and firmly rejected the principles of socialism. In his encyclical, which serves as a formal letter to the Catholic Church, Leo XIII called for a harmonious balance between “the duties and rights of capital and labor,” a theme that remains relevant today and is encapsulated in the subtitle of his Rerum Novarum address.

For Pope Leo XIV to take inspiration from the legacy of this previous social reformer sends a powerful and significant message to the artificial intelligence sector, highlighting the crucial impact of AI on the global workforce.

Contemporary society has already begun to witness the effects of AI technology, particularly in the areas of job displacement and the exploitation of data labelers. According to the World Economic Forum‘s 2025 jobs report, 41 percent of employers plan to reduce their workforce in favor of automating tasks using AI. Additionally, the International Labor Organization released a 2024 report that shed light on the “invisible labor” associated with AI development, underscoring the low wages and inadequate protections afforded to these workers.

The Catholic Church has already expressed concerns regarding other implications of AI. Pope Francis, Leo’s predecessor, issued a cautionary message in January 2024, warning that AI could lead to “distortions of reality” through the propagation of partially or entirely false narratives that are accepted and shared as truths. More recently, Pope Francis’ final address before his passing reflected on the alarming trend of technology supplanting genuine human interaction.