Billionaire Thiel Says Pope Leo ‘Working For Chinese Communists’ Because Of AI Stance

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.

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.”

The remarks reportedly triggered laughter from the audience.

Thiel is a long-time supporter of President Trump and a key backer of Vice President JD Vance, whose administration has been engaged in a public feud with the pope.

What Did The Pope Say In His Encyclical?

Pope Leo issued his first encyclical in May this year, where he warned that the push to expand artificial intelligence use, mass automation, and tech advancements is being used to build a modern “Tower of Babel” that reflects a world defined by greed, immorality and lack of respect for human life. The manifesto noted that while technology relieving humans of “arduous, repetitive or dangerous tasks” and providing “intelligent support” was desirable, the “pursuit of profits must not lead to choices that “systematically sacrifice jobs.” The pope’s document also warned of the use of AI to “construct distorted narratives” and decried the deployment of autonomous weapons systems saying could make “war more ‘feasible’ and less subject to human control.”

What Do We Know About The Pope’s Feud With The White House?

The pope was among the most prominent global critics of the Trump administration’s military actions, including its decision to go to war with Iran. After the war began, Leo warned that a “spiral of violence” could become “an unbridgeable chasm.” The pope took an even firmer stance after Trump's controversial Truth Social post, where he warned that a “whole civilization will die tonight,” unless Iran agreed to his demands on ending the conflict. Leo called Trump’s threat “truly unacceptable” and added, “all attacks on civilian infrastructure is against international law.” In an unprecedented move, Trump then directly attacked the pope on social media, saying he was “WEAK on Crime,” and “terrible for Foreign Policy.” The president then said Leo should be “thankful” and claimed, without any evidence, that if he weren’t in the White House, “Leo wouldn’t be in the Vatican.”

Peter Thiel in Aspen: The pope is ‘working for the Chinese Communists’ (CNN)