German-American entrepreneur Peter Thiel recently told an audience at the Aspen Ideas Festival that Pope Leo XIV is “working for the Chinese Communists”. This claim stems from the pontiff’s calls for stronger international oversight of artificial intelligence.
Thiel, along with political scientist Francis Fukuyama, argued that while the pope’s advice on AI regulation may appeal to Americans, it will have little impact on China. Thiel believes this is why he thinks the Pope is “working for the Chinese Communists”.
His statements were based on Leo’s first encyclical, titled “Magnifica Humanitas”, released in May. The document calls for AI to be disarmed and warns against a Tower of Babel created by technology driven by greed and disregard for human dignity.
This comment comes amid ongoing tensions between the Pope and the Trump administration, following criticism from Leo over US military strikes against Iran and a subsequent rebuke from Trump calling him “weak on crime”. Thiel is a staunch supporter of President Donald Trump.