Interesting Times: A Mind-Bending Conversation with Peter Thiel

Hard Fork

2025/07/11

Overview Shownote Highlights Transcript Chapters Pins

Shownote

This week, we’re bringing you a recent interview from “Interesting Times with Ross Douthat,” one of The New York Times’s newest podcasts. In this episode, Ross sits down with Peter Thiel, the co-founder of PayPal and Palantir and one of the most contrarian...

Highlights

In a wide-ranging conversation, Peter Thiel and Ross Douthat delve into the complexities of technological progress, political shifts, and the future of artificial intelligence. Recorded as part of 'Interesting Times with Ross Douthat,' this discussion challenges assumptions about innovation and explores whether the modern world is truly advancing or quietly stalling.

13:06

Biotech and anti-aging research represent potential avenues for escaping societal decadence

27:51

Elon Musk considered leaving the U.S. if Trump didn't win in 2024.

30:20

AI may not end stagnation but can create great companies and add to GDP and productivity.

49:46

A potential Antichrist could exploit fear of AI and existential risks to establish a one-world government promising peace and safety.

Chapters

Is Technological Progress an Illusion?

00:00

Thiel, Trump, and the Politics of Innovation

15:58

Can AI Lead Us Out of Stagnation—or Into It?

30:20

AI, Global Power, and the Shadow of the Antichrist

46:10

Transcript

Ross Douthat: The demand for content is skyrocketing, and businesses are turning to generative AI for a creative edge. But with generative AI, it's important to ensure your work is copyright safe. Meet Adobe Firefly, Adobe's family of generative AI models ...