I’ve been doing a long term project that has Peter Thiel in my view. I saw that he did an interview. He said…
Douthat: It seems very clear to me that a number of people deeply involved in artificial intelligence see it as a mechanism for transhumanism…for transcendence of our mortal flesh…and either some kind of creation of a successor species or some kind of merger of mind and machine.
Do you think that’s all irrelevant fantasy? Or do you think it’s just hype? Do you think people are raising money by pretending that we’re going to build a machine god? Is it hype? Is it delusion? Is it something you worry about?
Thiel: Um, yeah.
Douthat: I think you would prefer the human race to endure, right?
Thiel: Uhhhhh…(followed by an uncomfortable silence).
Douthat: You’re hesitating.
Thiel: Well, I don’t know. I would—I would…
Douthat: This is a long hesitation!
Thiel: There’s so many questions implicit in this.
Douthat: Should the human race survive?
Thiel: Yes.
Douthat: OK.
Thiel: But I also would like us to radically solve these problems.
Which problems Peter boy? Huamnity itself? Do you see humanity itself as a problem?
Anyway here are some snippets from this episode…
And here’s what I want you to sit with in this episode: how often, in our current moment…in the way our institutions behave, the way Silicon Valley corporations talk, the way billionaires posture and position themselves, there’s this underlying assumption that their vision of the future is not just , but . It's inevitable. It's correct. That it’s to happen. That the world is naturally bending toward their plans, their desires, their aesthetic, their software.
This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit
