Pope Leo XIV explained, in the wake of his election on May 10, 2025, that his choice of papal name was in honor of Leo XIII, who addressed the social question during the first industrial revolution. Today, the new American pope intends to further explore social doctrine to address the new challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence — especially regarding human dignity, justice and labor.
It’s easy to foresee that among the new pope’s intentions is that of writing the first encyclical on AI. The Church’s attention to this topic had already begun under Francis, with the publication of the note Antiqua et Nova, which, although very comprehensive, was limited to reconstructing the current ethical debate on the issue.
