Peter Thiel blames Obama and Pope Leo XIV for stoking AI fears

During a private talk in Nashville, billionaire investor Peter Thiel alleged that former President Barack Obama and Pope Leo XIV deliberately amplify fears surrounding artificial intelligence to enhance their personal influence. He argued that Obama’s recent call for Democrats to devise a comprehensive AI regulatory framework is a political maneuver, while the pope’s recent encyclical on AI is intended to divert attention from the Catholic Church’s child-sex-abuse scandals.

Thiel linked this opposition to AI with an “Antichrist” narrative that seeks a global, over-reaching regulatory order. His comments echo a broader Silicon Valley skepticism toward AI regulation, but he uniquely framed the debate in religious terms. The critique also touched on the potential political fallout for JD Vance, a converted Catholic, as Democrats eye a 2028 presidential run. Representatives for all parties declined to comment.