New Pope Leo XIV criticizes artificial intelligence: It will create challenges

Pope Leo XIV, who was elected as the new pope of Catholics on May 8, attended the meeting of the College of Cardinals and addressed the cardinals.

Pope Leo XIV said that his predecessor, Pope Francis, left behind a "valuable legacy" that must be continued.

Referring to the Second Vatican Council (1962-1965), which enabled the Roman Catholic Church to open up to the modern world through a series of new jurisprudence and regulations it introduced, Pope Leo XIV said, "Today, I want us to renew our full commitment to this path that the Church has followed for decades since the Second Vatican Council, and to continue this journey."

Explaining the reason for choosing the name "Leo," Pope Leo XIV stated that he wanted to honor Pope Leo XIII, who served as pope between 1878 and 1903, took steps regarding social justice in a world going through a period like the Industrial Revolution between two centuries, and initiated the "modern social doctrine of the church," adding, "Feeling called to continue precisely along this line, I thought of taking the name Leo XIV."

While explaining the reasons for choosing this name, Pope Leo XIV also pointed to the Church's leadership in protecting workers in the face of developments in artificial intelligence, stating, "The primary reason is this: Pope Leo XIII, with his historic encyclical 'Rerum Novarum,' addressed the social issue in the context of the first great Industrial Revolution. Today, the Church offers its own legacy of social teaching to everyone in order to respond to another industrial revolution and developments in artificial intelligence, which bring new challenges in terms of the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor."

Meanwhile, reports in the press indicated that Pope Leo XIV, for the first time since his election, left the Vatican to visit a shrine in the town of Genazzano, and subsequently visited the tomb of his predecessor, Pope Francis, located in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome.

On the other hand, some information regarding the Conclave (papal election) in which Pope Leo XIV was elected has also begun to appear in the press.

According to the ANSA agency, Malagasy Cardinal Desire Tsarahazana, who participated in the Conclave, stated that Pope Leo XIV was elected Pope by receiving more than 100 votes.

In the 4th session on May 8 of the Conclave (papal election) that began in the Vatican on May 7, 69-year-old American Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost was elected as the 267th pope of the Catholic Church by receiving two-thirds of the votes of the 133 voting cardinals. Prevost chose the name "Pope Leo XIV" for himself.