Peter Thiel Labels Pope a 'Chinese Communist Agent' Over AI Stance

Thiel, a co-founder of Palantir and PayPal, characterized the Pope's 42,000-word encyclical—which warns of the dehumanizing risks posed by unrestrained AI—as a dangerous impediment to American innovation. According to Thiel, slowing development essentially serves the interests of Beijing. This critique is part of a broader pattern for the investor, who has previously described AI skeptics as agents of the Antichrist and reportedly speculated that the pontiff himself could be a manifestation of that figure.

The rhetoric highlights a growing rift between the billionaire and the religious leadership he once helped shape. Thiel was a primary financial backer of Vice President JD Vance’s 2022 Senate campaign and influenced his conversion to Catholicism. Yet, as journalist Christopher Hale noted, Thiel has actively instructed the Vice President to disregard the Pope’s moral guidance. Beyond his focus on technology, Thiel also warned of a democratic-socialist takeover within the Democratic Party, claiming such a shift would lead to the nation's decline. Amid these domestic concerns, reports suggest the billionaire is hedging his political bets by establishing a foothold in Argentina, joining a collection of backup citizenships in New Zealand and Malta.