In a recent series of private lectures in San Francisco, billionaire Peter Thiel took a distinctly theological turn, linking his opposition to tech regulation with warnings of the Antichrist and the potential downfall of the United States, according to recordings reviewed by the Washington Post. Thiel described activists like Greta Thunberg and critics of artificial intelligence as "legionnaires of the Antichrist," arguing that efforts to limit technology threaten not just innovation but the future of the nation itself, according to the Post's recordings.
"In the 17th, 18th century, the Antichrist would have been a Dr. Strangelove, a scientist who did all this sort of evil crazy science," Thiel said in his opening San Francisco talk last month, according to the recordings. "In the 21st century, the Antichrist is a Luddite who wants to stop all science. It's someone like Greta or Eliezer," he said. He was referring to Thunberg and Eliezer Yudkowsky, a prominent researcher who has long warned of the dangers of AI. The New York Times describes Yudkowsky as a "prophet of doom" for AI who "more or less invented" the field of AI safety.
- In a statement, Yudkowsky said: "My understanding is that authorities from multiple Christian denominations have stated that Thiel's views, identifying the Antichrist with proposals to regulate the AI industry, are not deemed by them to be compatible with conventional Christian belief."
- Thiel's lectures, organized by Christian tech group ACTS 17 Collective, mixed scripture, philosophy, and warnings about government overreach, the Post reports.
- Thiel claimed that regulatory efforts could lead to a "one world state"—a scenario he likened to a planetary prison. "It's become quite difficult to hide one's money," Thiel said, according to the Post. "An incredible machinery of tax treaties, financial surveillance, and sanctions architecture has been constructed."
- Thiel, a longtime libertarian with close ties to Trump administration figures including Vice President JD Vance, has previously criticized regulation as a drag on economic growth. This time, he framed the stakes in religious terms, saying only a spiritual response is strong enough to counter what he sees as the creeping threat of global control.
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According to the Post recordings, Thiel argued that former President Biden and Chinese premier Xi Jinping were not charismatic enough to be the Antichrist. He said Bill Gates is a "very, very awful person," but not "remotely able to be the Antichrist," per the Post. According to records and transcripts obtained by Reuters, Thiel said he had urged Elon Musk to quit the Giving Pledge, warning that the commitment to give much of his wealth to charity would result in his fortune going "to left-wing nonprofits that will be chosen by Bill Gates." Wired has much more on what it calls Thiel's "doomsday road show," which began in 2023.
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