Thiel says pope's AI encyclical was 'working for' China

Peter Thiel called Pope Leo XIV a "useful idiot" for the Chinese Communist Party over the pope's call to regulate AI. He argued the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas won't slow China but could push the US toward heavy AI rules.

• Thiel said China won't listen to the pope, but people in the US might
• Pope Leo published the AI encyclical Magnifica Humanitas in May
• Thiel blamed Americans, not China, for the US anti-AI backlash
• He criticised German founders for selling companies before scaling globally