Peter Thiel clashes with the Pope over AI regulation

Silicon Valley billionaire Peter Thiel accused the Pope of acting as a “Chinese communist agent” after the pontiff urged stronger international rules on artificial intelligence. Thiel argued that papal warnings could slow the United States while China would continue unhindered development. The exchange took place during a panel at the Aspen Ideas Festival in Colorado and was echoed in a closed‑door meeting in Rome, where Thiel held private briefings on the “Antichrist” and AI.

Thiel, co‑founder of PayPal and Palantir and an early supporter of former President Donald Trump, framed the Pope’s call for ethical limits on AI as a threat to American competitiveness. The Pope, in his first AI‑focused encyclical, called for robust global oversight to prevent job loss, misinformation and instability. The confrontation highlights a growing tension between the Vatican’s moral advocacy and the tech industry’s push for rapid innovation.