qwant news | Is Peter Thiel the target of Pope Leo's Gandalf quote? An investigation.
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The article examines Pope Leo’s new encyclical, which uniquely quotes Gandalf from The Return of the King, and argues that the reference is likely a subtle rebuke of Peter Thiel—a prominent tech billionaire and self‑identified Tolkien fan who has built companies such as Palantir, Mithril Capital, Valar Ventures, and others named after Middle‑Earth locales, and who has framed technology, especially AI, as a messianic force against what he calls the “Antichrist” of global governance. By invoking Gandalf’s call to “uproot the evil in the fields” and focus on small, steadfast acts of love, the Pope is urging a shift from the tech elite’s “transhumanist” and militaristic AI ambitions toward a humble, charity‑driven vision of technology that serves humanity rather than dominates it. The piece situates this cultural clash within broader discussions of AI regulation, Thiel’s anti‑regulation stance, and the Catholic Church’s call for a “civilization of love,” suggesting the papal quote is a gentle but pointed reminder that true progress lies in human‑centered compassion, not in techno‑messianic conquest.
Read more: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2026/05/is-peter-thiel-the-target-of-pope-leos-gandalf-quote-an-investigation/
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