Pope Leo XIV has identified artificial intelligence (AI) as one of the key challenges facing humanity as he outlined his vision for the papacy.

 In his first formal audience, the 69-year-old pontiff emphasized the need for the Catholic Church to take a leading role in addressing emerging threats to workers, including the impact of AI.

Speaking to the cardinals who elected him, Pope Leo said AI presented "new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour." He reflected on his namesake, Pope Leo XIII, who addressed workers' rights during the industrial age, particularly through the 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum.

The current pope drew parallels between today’s industrial revolution, driven by AI advancements, and the issues Pope Leo XIII addressed. “In our own day, the Church offers everyone the treasury of its social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence,” Pope Leo said, reiterating the Church’s role in protecting human dignity and workers' rights.

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