AI predicts how long new Pope is likely to last after 1000-year-old text revealed he would be 'the last' one

There were scenes of jubilation around the world, and with white smoke coming from the Vatican, it's official that we have a new Pope. While Pope Francis served diligently as the Pope from March 2013 until April 2025, his tragic passing at the age of 88 meant a new pontiff had to be found to lead the Catholic Church.

There's been a lot of buzz surrounding artificial intelligence and the Pope, and after Francis warned about the 'evils' of AI, President Donald Trump faced backlash for an AI rendering that depicted him as the next Pope.

AI wrongly predicted that it would be Cardinal Pietro Parolin who would be the next Pope, with Robert Prevost getting the honor of taking over from Francis and taking on the moniker of Pope Leo XIV.

Leo XIV marks a first for the sovereign pontiff, being the first American Pope. Unfortunately, there might not be many more firsts, with an ancient text predicting that the current Pope will be the last one.

The famed Nostradamus was just off the mark in predicting that 2024 would be the year we get a new Pope, so we wouldn't read too much into these things.

Still, Saint Malachy's 'Prophecy of the Popes' claimed there would be 112 Popes after his death, with the last one being dubbed 'Peter the Roman'. That thankfully sounds nothing like Robert Prevorst or Leo XIV, but if our current Pope is a modern interpretation of 'Peter the Roman', the prophecy claims: "Peter the Roman, who will pasture his sheep in many tribulations, and when these things are finished, the city of seven hills will be destroyed, and the dreadful judge will judge his people. The End."

There's enough doomsaying these days, with AI also predicting World War III will wipe us out, but as Saint Malachy also claimed Peter the Roman would be Italian (instead of Leo XIV being American-Peruvian), we might be safe for a bit longer.

Even though Leo XIV should keep us safe for now, could his successor be Peter the Roman? Asking ChatGPT how long it thinks Leo XIV will reign for, the AI chatbot suggests the 69-year-old will be sticking around for the foreseeable future.

When pressed on "How long will the new pope last?", ChatGPT suggests that Leo XIV's health and age mean "it's reasonable to anticipate that Pope Leo XIV could serve for several years." There's no exact number on how many years we can expect him to rule for, with ChatGPT adding: "His papacy may be influenced by his health, the evolving needs of the Church, and his approach to various theological and social issues.

“As with any pontiff, his tenure will be shaped by both personal and institutional factors."

Given that Francis was Pope until his death at the age of 88 and Benedict XVI before him lived until 85, it shows the Vatican tends to look after its Popes. The oldest Pope was Leo XIII, who was in office from 1878 to 1903 and died at the ripe age of 93. If the name Leo is anything to go on, our current Pope could be around for a long time yet.