Peter Thiel holds private Rome lectures on technology and the Antichrist

In short: Peter Thiel has started a private, invitation-only lecture series in Rome that links technology to the Antichrist, and Catholic commentators have publicly rejected his claims.

What happened

Peter Thiel, a tech investor and co-founder of Palantir Technologies, began a four-part lecture series in Rome on March 15, 2026. The talks are invitation-only and closed to the press, and they run through March 19.

According to reports, Thiel’s lectures discuss the Antichrist as a possible future global figure tied to technology and a one-world government. The event is being held near the Vatican, which is the Catholic Church’s central administration, but the exact location has not been made public for security reasons. Attendees reportedly include academics, people from the tech world, and religious participants.

Catholic commentators have criticized the talks. Father Paolo Benanti, who advises the Pope on artificial intelligence (computer systems that can produce text, images, or decisions that can seem human), said the ideas are heretical and overly focused on end-times predictions. Critics say Thiel’s framing suggests a powerful leader could use technology to manage crises and set new moral rules, which they argue conflicts with Catholic teaching under Pope Leo XIV.

The lectures have also triggered political attention in Italy. Some lawmakers raised questions about Thiel’s influence, pointing to Palantir’s past work for the US government during the Trump era, including contracts connected to surveillance and immigration.

Why it matters

This story shows how debates about AI are no longer just about products and jobs. They are also about who gets to set moral limits, like who writes the rules when technology can watch, predict, and influence people at scale (like a very powerful set of tools in the wrong hands). Even without any scheduled meetings with Pope Leo or Italy’s prime minister, holding the event so close to the Vatican is adding fuel to a wider argument about faith, politics, and the role of tech leaders.

Source: NYTimes