Pope Leo XIV names AI one of the reasons for his papal name

Pope Leo XIV speaking to the College of Cardinals on May 10th. | Photo by Simone Risoluti – Vatican Media via Vatican Pool / Getty Images

As Pope Leo XIV laid out his vision for the papacy in an address to the College of Cardinals, he also explained why he picked his papal name. Incredibly, artificial intelligence played a big part.

In the Vatican’s translation of his speech, Pope Leo XIV explained that his name references Pope Leo XII, who presided over the church at the dawn of the industrial revolution.