Opinion: Thiel's leaked Rome talks call EA, AI safetyism Antichrist, Bill Gates Mr. Hyde
Leaked recordings of Peter Thiel’s four‑part Rome lecture series, obtained by The Verge, reveal the billionaire’s view that effective altruism (EA) and AI “safetyism” are precursors to the Antichrist. Thiel, who first mentioned the Antichrist in a 2023 Catholic University of America talk and then held invitation‑only sessions in 2025, frames “peace and safety” slogans as a dangerous restraining…
Key points
- Leaked recordings of Peter Thiel’s four‑part Rome lectures were obtained by The Verge.
- Thiel portrays effective altruism and AI safetyism as “peace and safety” slogans of the Antichrist.
- He calls Bill Gates a “Mr. Hyde‑type” figure and describes Eliezer Yudkowsky as “more Luddite than Greta.”
In a related essay published in the conservative journal First Things, Thiel labels Bill Gates as a “Mr. Hyde‑type” figure and describes Eliezer Yudkowsky as “more Luddite than Greta.” He also critiques the Vatican’s current pope, calls the financial regulatory system an “Antichrist‑like” machine, and cites a range of religious and historical sources to support his apocalyptic narrative. The piece notes that Thiel’s ideas circulate among Silicon Valley elites, including the ACTS 17 Collective, and that his political influence extends to backing JD Vance’s Senate run.
The analysis situates Thiel’s rhetoric within a broader American evangelical revival and warns that such theological framing could shape public debate and policy around AI safety and regulation.
Thiel's leaked Rome lectures cast EA and AI "safetyism" as Antichrist forerunners, Bill Gates as "Mr. Hyde", and Eliezer Yudkowsky as "more Luddite than Greta"
theverge.com · 21 October 2026
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