Peter Thiel criticizes Greta Thunberg and AI regulation in private lectures

Peter Thiel, a prominent Silicon Valley investor and member of the ‘PayPal mafia,’ has recently called climate activist Greta Thunberg and critics of artificial intelligence ‘legionnaires of the Antichrist.’ During a series of private lectures, Thiel fused his religious beliefs with a staunch opposition to technology regulation. In talks delivered at the Commonwealth Club in San Francisco, Thiel argued that proposed limits on technology development could lead to the destruction of the United States and the rise of a global totalitarian regime. Thiel’s rhetoric also extended to concerns about financial regulations, claiming that they signal the emergence of a world government that could be controlled by an Antichrist-like figure. According to Thiel, in the modern era, the Antichrist is not an evil genius but someone who relentlessly warns of existential risks and calls for strict regulation, such as figures like Thunberg and AI critic Eliezer Yudkowsky. The talks are part of a broader political context that includes rising Christian nationalism in the U.S. and a growing resistance to AI regulation, particularly during President Trump’s second term.