Here's how AI inspired new pope Robert Prevost's chosen name Leo XIV

There's a lot of chatter around the new pope's chosen name: Leo XIV. And while there might have been various reasons behind the choice, one of them will surprise you the most. Pope Leo XIV, previously known as Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, said in an address that artificial intelligence (AI) was one of the key reasons he went ahead with the name. Here's why.

'New challenges'
In his speech, the pope said his papal name is a reference to Pope Leo XIII, who led the Catholic Church from 1878 to 1903. He stated that similar to how Leo XIII was deeply concerned about the human impact of the industrial revolution, he remains concerned about the challenges brought on by the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), which he described as "another industrial revolution."
"Pope Leo XIII in his historic Encyclical Rerum Novarum (an open letter) addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution. In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour," he said.

Church's interest in AI
Interestingly, the Roman Catholic Church has taken a keen interest in the development of AI in recent years. For instance, in a document published earlier this year, the Church talked of AI, its limitations, and the ethics of developing and using the rapidly-advancing technology.

Prevost's historic election
Prevost was elected pope on May 8 in a secretly-held poll in the Vatican City earlier this week as he secured a two-thirds majority from participating cardinals. The first-ever American to hold the position, he will be formally installed as pope on May 18. His popular predecessor, Pope Francis, died at the age of 88 in April, marking an end to his 12-year leadership and vacating the revered seat.