Pope-Pilled
The first AI pope and the humanity of creative hobbies
I am not Catholic, nor a religious person, but for some reason everything in my life paused last week when I saw the news that white smoke was coming out of the chimney at the Sistine Chapel. A new pope had been selected!
I immediately turned on the livestream and was captivated watching the pageantry and tradition unfold: the outfits, the people screaming and waving flags, the priests and nuns alternating between gripping rosaries and scrolling their phones, dazzling drone shots of St. Peter’s Square…it all felt like a mashup of old and new. TikTok went wild. I even looked up the Vegas betting odds for Pope selections and genuinely regretted not having watched the movie Conclave because I was LOCKED IN.
Well, for about 20 minutes.
When I realized that it would take some time for the Pope’s identity to actually be revealed, I closed the livestream and got on with my day. And, then, like a lot of folks, I was surprised to learn that the new Pope was American! And from Chicago!
After consuming a slew of ridiculous Internet memes (I loved the Onion’s Chicago-style Pope), I decided to read up on the new Pope and got some less-meme-y reactions from my sister-in-law (who grew up Catholic).
The first AI pope
I am slightly embarrassed to admit that I didn’t know that new popes get to pick their names, and that their chosen name often signals how they plan to approach their role and shape the church’s future.
You probably knew that, and probably know that the new Pope selected the name Leo.
But do you know why he went with Leo?
As it turns out, the newly elected Pope Leo XVI believes that artificial intelligence is one of the biggest challenges facing humanity today. He sees parallels between our current moment and the dawn of the Industrial Revolution, when the last Pope Leo (XIII) led the Catholic Church.
In his first formal address to the College of Cardinals, the new Pope said:
“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 that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor.”
And like, look at you, Pope! Calling out AI on day one. And he’s apparently advocating for AI regulation, too?
I was surprised, but also kind of impressed because it seems so topical and so far from the old-school traditions of the conclave. And it briefly reignited my new, mild obsession with the papacy. As my friend Annie described it, we had been Pope-Pilled.
Looking to the past
Pope Leo XIII—the new Pope’s namesake—served from 1878 to 1903. In 1891, he published an encyclical1 titled Rerum Novarum, which “addressed workers’ rights and capitalism at the dawn of the industrial age.”
Naturally, I had to read it (I was Pope-Pilled, after all).
I’m sorry to say that 130+ years later and as a non-Catholic, it was a chore to read. I considered asking ChatGPT to summarize it, just to get very meta about it all. But I powered through. It was, oddly, as much a plea for capitalism (and anti-socialism?) as it was about Catholicism and religion. But honestly? It kind of felt like it could’ve been written today about AI.
“The seriousness of this situation weighs heavily on everyone’s mind. Thoughtful people are analyzing it, practical people are offering solutions, and it’s being discussed in public meetings, legislatures, and by world leaders—truly, no other issue has captured the public’s attention more deeply.”
- Someone’s thoughts on AI in May 2025
(Just kidding! This is ChatGPT’s modernization of a passage of Rerum Novarum)
The timelessness of his (slightly modernized) words makes sense. History does repeat itself. As Pope Leo XIII wrote:
“Is it not rash to conjecture the future from the past. Age gives way to age, but the events of one century are wonderfully like those of another.”
While AI is on track to arguably be more transformative than the Industrial Revolution, the critique of the technology and backlash against it follows a similar pattern, even beyond Pope Leo’s Rerum Novarum. I’ve previously written about William Morris and the Arts and Crafts movement, which pushed back on industrialization by advocating for craftsmanship and a reconnection to the human hand. And I have to imagine both Pope Leos and Morris may have been kindred spirits (though Morris described himself as a pagan).
So, yeah. As an amateur papal scholar, I totally get—and respect—why the new Pope chose the name Leo.
From Popes to Practice
The Catholic Church has had its share of controversy, and I also understand that the Pope is a deeply important figure to many people. So yes, I know I’m playing with fire here from multiple angles. And a brief bout of papal intrigue doesn’t make me an authority on the subject.
But just as Pope Leo XIII responded to the Industrial Revolution with a call to protect human dignity and purpose, Pope Leo XVI’s early focus on AI and ethics is a reminder that with every major wave of technological change, we’re prompted to ask the same essential question: what does it mean to be human?
I’m not participating in a conclave anytime soon, but I’ve been pondering that question a lot lately. Haven’t we all?
In fact, I’m currently doing some consulting work for a company that has an AI product that complements its professional services. During stakeholder interviews, one person introduced themselves as being responsible for “human-led programs” in their department. That was a first for me—and a bit of a gulp moment. What does “human-led” mean now? What will it mean tomorrow?
At Practice, we’re not anti-technology. Far from it. But in a world of rapidly evolving tools and infinite digital content, creative hobbies feel especially human. They offer a way to reset, reconnect, and remind ourselves that joy can be found in tiny acts of making. Even (or, especially?) in the age of generative everything.
Engaging in hands-on creative hobbies can be a form of differentiation between us and machines and a way to reaffirm some of the things that are so beautiful about being a human.
So wherever you fall on the AI or Pope excitement spectrum, I hope you still find time to doodle, carve, or knit. If nothing else, you’ll have something to show for it, and probably experience a little joy. No white smoke required.
Honestly, I didn’t expect to go this deep on Pope stuff…but here we are. This Substack is basically a window into my brain, and each week I feel compelled to share what’s been on my mind. So you’re probably used to my rabbit holes by now. But, like always, my rabbit holes seem to lead back to Practice.
Next week, Ben will share some of his own reflections on AI and humanity because we’ve been talking a lot about this topic recently and he’s eager to share his thoughts, too. See you then!
An “encyclical” is another new word I learned this week! It’s a letter sent by the Pope to all bishops of the Roman Catholic Church.