Billionaire Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal and Palantir, reportedly referred to climate activist Greta Thunberg and prominent AI critics as “legionnaires of the antichrist,” according to a recording of a private lecture series reviewed by The Washington Post. The series, which was intended to be off the record, was aptly titled “The Antichrist: A Four-Part Lecture Series.”
The Modern ‘Luddite’ Threat
In his lectures, Thiel laid out his philosophical and religious views on technology and global power. He reportedly warned that an Antichrist figure could emerge by promising to stop things like AI, which would lead to a one-world government and curtail individual freedom and human innovation.
Thiel defined the shift in the nature of this threat, stating, “In the 21st century, the Antichrist is a Luddite who wants to stop all science. It’s someone like Greta or Eliezer.” This quote referred to climate activist Greta Thunberg and AI researcher Eliezer Yudkowsky, whose book argues AI poses an existential threat. The term Luddites refers to historical technology skeptics who actively opposed mechanization.
Thiel’s comments are particularly notable given his past actions. Thunberg has been a vocal climate activist and was recently detained by Israeli authorities while participating in an aid flotilla to Gaza. Meanwhile, Yudkowsky, whom Thiel cited as a threat to progress, was actually an early recipient of funding from Thiel for his “Singularity Institute” in 2005. Separately, Reuters recently reported that Thiel warned fellow billionaire Elon Musk against donating to charities.
Author’s Opinion
Thiel’s use of extreme, religious terminology to label technology skeptics is a deliberate and provocative tactic that serves not as theological warning, but as a political weapon designed to delegitimize any voice calling for caution or regulation of AI and high technology. By equating environmental activists and prominent AI safety researchers with the ultimate source of evil, Thiel attempts to morally silence those who challenge the accelerating power and market dominance of the tech sector he helped build, confirming his allegiance to unconstrained technological progress above all other ethical or social concerns.
Featured image credit: Wikimedia Commons
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