Billionaire Peter Thiel Attacks Pope’s AI Stance, Says He’s ‘Working For Chinese Communists’

Billionaire Peter Thiel attacked Pope Leo XIV and mocked the catholic leader by accusing him of being an agent of “Chinese Communists,” in response to the pope’s grave warnings about the impact of artificial intelligence if the technology is left unregulated by governments.

Peter Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, attacked the Pope over his stance on artificial intelligence.

According to CNN, Thiel called out the pope while speaking at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado earlier this week, while also claiming that the Democratic Party was under a “democratic-socialist takeover.”

Referring to the catholic leader’s first encyclical, “Magnifica Humanitas,” Thiel said the Vatican’s calls for regulation of artificial intelligence could slow down only one side in the U.S.-China AI race, as leaders in Beijing are less likely to listen to the pope’s plea.

The billionaire then argued that in his mind, this meant Leo—the first-ever American Pope—was “working for the Chinese Communists.”