On Tuesday, American entrepreneur and venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale sent out a Substack edition in which he encouraged readers to listen and heed the opinions and lectures of Peter Thiel on the subject of the Biblical Antichrist. Thiel’s belief surrounding the Antichrist has been discussed and criticized by many, while any in-depth analysis of his opinion has been gatekept behind closed door lectures. SOFX Founder Sam Havelock wanted to share his personal comment on Lonsdale’s Substack to our audience.
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Joe, with all due respect to both you and Peter: Mr. Thiel’s reflections on the Antichrist are reflections shared with select-by-invite-only audiences that have not been exposed to public scrutiny, much less divinity scholarship.
The functional equivalent of holding mass within a cathedral of invited elites. As far as many of us can tell from the coverage provided by curated version as told by the New York Times and transmissions that have been shared on social media, Mr. Thiel argues that those that seek to constrain the development of AGI and Super Intelligence might be representations of the antichrist. How quaint.
This was told by the first investor into Facebook, the company that birthed the modern era of at-scale social media which can be thought of as phase 1 experimentation with algorithmic driven manipulation of our lived experiences. And look where that got us. Rising suicide rates, polarized society, I could go on.
Now let’s consider Peter’s relationship to Sam Altman. We are all supposed to believe that asking for guardrails and accountability on AGI that is hurtling towards (with a distinct meaning nonzero possibility) of societal collapse or rogue / non-human control, built and led by the same people who brought us to where we are as a society on the social media business model, that no one elected, aggregating the wealth of nations under a future promise of UBI and a plan to redistribute that wealth is unholy and will damn us to hell?
What about us facing hell on earth which I would define as a future of violence, upheaval, fear, and destruction (as told by Revelations.)
Finally: AGI itself definitionally fits squarely into the creation of a false god as warned by the book of Revelation. The language used by what I would call the 6 or so “horsemen” leading the AGI charge at times refer to AGI in pseudo religious terms.
I think it is a fair enough ask to request that you, as Mr. Thiels’ friend and business partner ask him to more broadly share his observations with the rest of us. I am not a hater of AGI or Technology, nor a luddite. As a career Navy SEAL, I’ve witnessed and lived within and operated across hellscapes…hell on earth. Ungoverned spaces where human life is valued at $0. I know what this place looks, feels, and smells like. It is always and everywhere typified by unengaged people who have no resources and no hope. They feel helpless, scared, and afraid.
I don’t want that outcome for my children, for America, for the Chinese, for anyone. Peter should deliver his thoughts to more than just a select few, in my opinion. With deep respect and sincerity: Sam Havelock, CEO of SOFX Media.
Hooya, now I need to review Thiel. Personally, the NYT interest initiates my immediate bias of their bias.
Well said.
Well said. I would add that the false God of IT already exists. I see it daily in the youth of our country and that IT/AI will solve everything.
Thank you for saying what needs to be said, I think we are in for quite the ride in the near future, we’re seeing 1984 on steroids rather quickly. Will the center hold?
I dont think so. I dont even know if there can be a center once AGI bifurcates the economy into a few elite haves and mostly have nots.
We need to wake up and stick together. Put down partisan, religious, cultural and ethnic divides. And stand quite literally as WE THE PEOPLE.
I agree with you, this issue is nonpartisan and is franly more important than any other issue as far as i can tell.
Thank you, this had to be said. I believe it represents the majority opinion.
I think so too Carlos. I think the vast majority of human beings are not onboard with where this is heading.
Not only Well Said, but needs to be spread to the masses, the future looks very murky to me.
Hi Mike, I am going to be working on this with a new article this week.
100%
Agree…
Mr. Havelock is in a position where he can end his input with the words, “With deep respect and sincerity.” I on the other hand am tired of solutions and opinions from the creators (or their backers) of the problem.
Idiots with lots of money (people smart in a narrow scope but dumb as hell in a broader scope) are very dangerous, sheltered and cloistered people living in echo chambers.
The broader sense IS THIS: AS A SPECIES, OUR SELF-DESTRUCTIVE POTENTIAL IS INCREASING EXPONETIALLY. If we break the species down into the various tribes and nations and then go even further down to the individual level, WE SEE SOME COMMON THEMES AND DESIRES. Human necessities such as food, shelter, clothing, love, companionship, family etc.
SUPPOSITION: No human should be deprived of THE NECESSITIES to the benefit of any other human(s).
Openness to common sense inputs and scientific extrapolation should be normal brain function to our leaders and businesspeople. A global culture of SPECIES TEAM WORK not tribal one-upmanship or gamesmanship needs to prevail before someone uses their nuclear bomb, laser or secret weapon once EVERYBODY HAS ONE.
Unfortunately, unreasonable actors will insist that a continued pell-mell course to oblivion be the norm. Some of these people will have power, wealth etc.
In my opinion, that will be where the warriors will once again be needed. To stop idiots with lots of money, power, followings and such.
Steven, I agree with you. We have to do something about this. We have to execute agency as human beings and demand human control of AI/AGI. I was being honest and sincere when I said I don’t want terrible outcomes for the Chinese or any humans. I don’t want the world that these techno-oligarchs have planned for us. I don’t believe the Chinese Communist Party wants AGI outside of human control either. And on that point I think we have common ground to come to a common agreement on AI with guardrails.
So well clarified, thank you sir.
Well put, Sam. Thank you. As a 75 yr old observer, as well as a survivor of combat operations on three continents I have experienced the full spectrum of Heaven and hell. To the point, then: I, and several others have come to the conclusion that we are witnessing both the birth and death of the internet as anything more than an entertainment center and little else, within one generation ( ours…). I believe that as more people become aware of the false nature of much ( most..??) of what is found there in today’s world we will see a growing demand from serious people for proper sourcing and accountability. Until that happens, yes… we’re in a sketchy environment where as always… we’ll be taking losses among the people who have yet to understand what’s happening around them.
Donald, Thank you for everything you have done to build and protect the democracy our founding fathers created. Special Operations Core Value #1 is that “humans are more important than hardware” which in this case i extend to mean (technology.) There are thousands of extremely powerful people who read SOFX every day. It is my plan to use SOFX platform to demand accountability and speak for the common voice. I will be releasing an article this week that will start this process.
Sam, I appreciate you thoughtfully responding to the comments section like you have, and looking forward to the article. I’m very curious now to what lands and what demanding accountability from a platform like this looks like.
Sam, great response. As a 30 year Green Beret, I am always suspect of anything done in private by wealthy elites. History is replete with examples of societal manipulation stemming from unchecked hard or soft power. Thiel should take his thoughts mainstream and have their merits argued in public forums not behind closed doors!
Thiel’s perspective is garbage.
So Theil thinks (says he thinks) that anyone who might interefere with his business investments is the antichrist. Usually this kind of quaint simple-minded argument is limited to marginal thinkers. I guess that’s the audience he seeks to influence.
W hy does Thiel sound like a self-serving false profit. Does he imagine God or the anti-christ have any interest in his businesses? I’m pretty sure they are battling at a more significant level.
Or does Thiel imagine that he’s God. This one seems the most likel to me.
People playing God or supreme ruler never ends well for all involved. Good take, brother.
Well put Sam. Much respect to all you have done for this country.