It seems like the Catholic Church has a new pope, and he’s got something to say about artificial intelligence. Chicago-born Robert Prevost, the Church’s freshly minted pontiff, is making it clear: AI is one of humanity’s biggest headaches.
In his inaugural address to the College of Cardinals on Saturday, the Pope didn't mince words. He laid out the Church’s plan to step in as the moral compass while the world wrestles with AI’s potential to mess with human dignity, justice, and labor. You know, just some casual world-saving stuff.
Prevost’s comments come as the 1.4 billion-strong Catholic Church tries to wrap its head around the rapidly evolving tech. It’s like trying to hold onto your hat while riding a rollercoaster made of algorithms. He’s not alone, though. The Church's response to AI echoes the social concerns of his predecessor, Pope Leo XIII, who had his hands full during the first Industrial Revolution in the 19th century.
Pope Leo XIV: A Nod to History
Now, about that papal name, Pope Leo XIV: He’s tipping his hat to Leo XIII, who authored the famous encyclical Rerum Novarum that championed worker rights, private property, and the government's role in creating social justice. If only Leo XIII had a Twitter account, huh?
Interestingly, the Vatican is already taking AI for a spin. They’re using it to digitize and index their vast Apostolic Archives. It’s like the Vatican’s version of a high-tech spring cleaning, enabling researchers to dive into centuries of history without needing to dust off old scrolls. The goal? Preserve fragile manuscripts and help scholars find connections across texts—because let’s face it, not every book in the archive is a page-turner.
AI Ethics: The Church Weighs In
Prevost’s stance on AI is part of a bigger global convo about its impact on society. AI ethics controversies are practically a weekly news segment these days, from Reddit experiments to cheating in education to image-generation platforms like Midjourney blocking political figures. The Church isn’t sitting this one out, either. The Vatican’s take on AI blends two principles: protecting human dignity and promoting the common good, because what’s AI without a little ethical framework, right?
Dr. Lawrence S. Pedregosa, a theological ethicist, chimed in, saying that while AI could help the Church reach more people, it should never replace the “gift of physical presence.” So, no, robots aren’t taking over Sunday mass anytime soon.
The Surprise Election of Pope Prevost
As for Pope Robert Prevost, his election wasn’t exactly the hottest pick in the prediction markets, leaving some wondering, “Who’s this guy?” Yet, despite the surprise, he’s all in on AI. Even former President Donald Trump was quick to offer a congratulatory message, marveling at the fact that America now has its first pope.
"Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope. It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!"… pic.twitter.com/q6kNcSOqAT
— The White House (@WhiteHouse) May 8, 2025
As for the previous pontiff, Pope Francis, he warned back in 2023 that AI was the "highest-stakes gamble" for humanity’s future. His Vatican had already signed the “Rome Call for AI Ethics” with big tech companies, and, as you can imagine, he was not a fan of AI being used in warfare.
The Vatican released a document under Francis’ watch that called out the dangers of AI in the workplace, saying, “As AI becomes more powerful, human labor may lose its value in the economic realm.” A future where robots take all the jobs? Yeah, that’s not a future anyone’s praying for. And that’s the holy truth: AI may be our next big challenge, but at least the Church is keeping an eye on it.
HODL Team
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