Peter Thiel, the US tech billionaire, is holding a series of closed-door lectures in Rome warning about the Antichrist.
Thiel is the founder of data intelligence company Palantir and has previously spoken about the risk of a "one-world, totalitarian state" obstructing scientific and technological progress.
His views are in contrast to those of Pope Leo, who has warned of the dangers of artificial intelligence and called for stronger regulation.
Amy Kazmin of the Financial Times told Behind the Story that Mr Thiel started out studying philosophy in college.
"He has a very complicated world view that he developed while he was a student at Stanford University," she said.
"Along with being in tech, he's considered an intellectual of the alt-right in the United States."
Ms Kazmin said Mr Thiel is also a "very important and influential" donor to the US 'MAGA’ movement.
"He was one of the first Silicon Valley tech bros to put his money behind Donald Trump’s original campaign in 2016," she explained.
"He is definitely involved in funding politics and funding right-wing, alt-right political candidates to further his interests."
Pope’s point of view
Ms Kazmin said Mr Thiel’s views are in contrast to those of Pope Leo, who has warned of the dangers of artificial intelligence and called for stronger regulation.
"One of the hot topics in the world is, of course, talk about the debate about regulation of artificial intelligence," she said.
"The Vatican under Pope Leo actually has a very strong point of view about that.
"Pope Leo sees artificial intelligence as a development as potentially momentous and transformative as the industrial revolution was.
"He has spoken a lot about the need to ensure humans stay at the centre of artificial intelligence."
God and AI
Professor Massimo Faggioli from the School of Religion at Trinity College Dublin said the Antichrist can mean different things.
"The Antichrist is that figure or power that stops the coming of the kingdom," he said.
"For Peter Thiel, the Antichrist means something that wants to stop the unstoppable – for him – progress of technology.
"Antichrist captures our attention, but it’s even more insidious because there’s a substitution of the divine by technology."
Prof Faggioli some of the so-called ‘tech bros’ believe that "the new revelation from God will come from AI".
He points out that Rome is an interesting location for the lectures.
"Today the official newspaper of the Vatican came out with a strong article, saying that Peter Thiel is the dark side of technology," he said.
"Let’s remember that this is part of a series of steps by American Catholic conservative circles to test Rome (and) what they can do," Prof Faggioli added.
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