Venture capitalist Peter Thiel made a provocative statement at the Aspen Ideas Festival. He labeled Pope Leo XIV a "Chinese communist agent" regarding the pontiff's stance on artificial intelligence.
Thiel, co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, argued against the Pope's call for global AI oversight. He contended that such regulations would handicap US firms while allowing Chinese competitors to advance unchecked.
The debate centers on the Pope's encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, released in May. The document advocates for disarming AI and implementing strict international rules to protect human dignity.
Thiel framed the issue as a geopolitical contest. He asserted that adopting broad AI guardrails would serve Beijing's strategic interests, putting American innovation at a disadvantage.
The comments were made during an unrecorded panel discussion, creating a sharp contrast between Vatican ethics and techno-optimist politics.