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New York Times
11-07-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Interesting Times: A Mind-Bending Conversation with Peter Thiel
Hosted by Ross Douthat Produced by Sophia Alvarez BoydAndrea BetanzosElisa Gutierrez and Katherine Sullivan Edited by Jordana Hochman Engineered by Isaac JonesSophia Lanman and Tim Brow Original music by Isaac JonesSonia HerreroPat McCusker and Aman Sahota 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 thinkers in tech. Together, they unpack Thiel's theory that we're living through an era of technological stagnation, and debate whether President Trump's populism and the development of artificial intelligence will help us unlock new progress. Guest: Peter Thiel, co-founder of Paypal and Palantir. Additional Reading: Peter Thiel and the Antichrist 'Hard Fork' is hosted by Kevin Roose and Casey Newton and produced by Whitney Jones and Rachel Cohn. The show is edited by Jen Poyant. Engineering by Alyssa Moxley and original music by Dan Powell, Elisheba Ittoop, Marion Lozano, Sophia Lanman and Rowan Niemisto. Special thanks to Paula Szuchman, Pui-Wing Tam, Dahlia Haddad and Jeffrey Miranda.
Time of India
29-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel warns of tech stagnation: 'Without AI, there's just nothing going on'
In a candid conversation on The New York Times ' podcast Interesting Times, billionaire investor and PayPal cofounder Peter Thiel offered a contrarian take on artificial intelligence. While Silicon Valley giants pitch AI as a transformational force, Thiel suggests that it may be more of a lifeboat than a rocket ship—a necessary but modest remedy to deeper societal stagnation. For Thiel, AI isn't a 'machine god' or humanity's path to immortality. But he still believes it's the only visible way out of what he calls 'technological stagnation.' The billionaire, who has invested in OpenAI, Palantir , and DeepMind, warns that despite AI's immense potential, it may still fall short of reigniting the sweeping innovation seen during the early space age or the internet boom. What AI Can and Can't Fix Thiel has long argued that society has slowed down since the 1970s in everything from energy innovation to transportation. On the podcast, he says, 'The fact that we're only talking about AI is an implicit acknowledgment that, but for AI, we are in almost total stagnation.' In short: if it weren't for artificial intelligence, there'd be little else driving excitement in tech. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Play War Thunder now for free War Thunder Play Now Undo Even with his investments in some of AI's most high-profile startups, Thiel remains skeptical. 'It might be enough to create some great companies,' he admits, 'but I'm not sure it's enough to really end the stagnation.' What he yearns for are bolder moonshots—missions to Mars, cures for Alzheimer's, and deep human transformation. — vitrupo (@vitrupo) You Might Also Like: Forget BTech. Zerodha's Nikhil Kamath says only one skill will matter to stay relevant in job market in 10 years More Than Hype, Less Than Salvation Asked whether the almost religious fervor surrounding AI is justified—whether visions of digital immortality and mind-machine mergers hold water—Thiel's response is striking. He critiques transhumanism not for being unnatural, but for being 'pathetically little.' To him, simply swapping human organs or extending lifespan falls short. 'We want you to be able to change your heart and your mind and your whole body,' he says. 'And transhumanism doesn't go far enough.' At the same time, Thiel questions whether AI enthusiasts are overhyping their ambitions to raise money. 'Is it hype? Is it delusion?' he muses, casting doubt on the techno-utopian dream while reaffirming the need to try AI nonetheless. The Choice: Try or Decay Despite his skepticism, Thiel's message isn't cynical, it's urgent. 'I still think we should be trying AI,' he says. 'And that the alternative is just total stagnation.' Without innovation, he warns, society may simply 'unravel.' His remarks serve as both a caution and a call to arms: AI may not deliver transcendence, but without it, there may be nothing new left to try. As the rest of Silicon Valley rushes to deify artificial intelligence, Thiel's grounded—and unsettling—warning is this: if AI fails to spark true transformation, we may find ourselves stuck not in dystopia, but in something worse—irrelevance. You Might Also Like: Nikhil Kamath's 'lifelong learning' advice is only step one: Stanford expert shares the key skills needed to survive the AI takeover
Business Insider
27-06-2025
- Business
- Business Insider
AI isn't 'a nothing burger,' but won't end 'stagnation' in tech, says Peter Thiel
Billionaire investor Peter Thiel has said he sees AI as transformative as the internet was in the late 1990s, but that it might not be enough to end "stagnation" in technological advances. Speaking on The New York Times' "Interesting Times" podcast, Thiel said that, when he's asked "how big" AI will be, his "stupid answer" is that it will be "more than a nothing burger" but "less than the total transformation of our society." The PayPal cofounder argued in a 2011 essay that technological progress had slowed since the 1970s in areas like energy and transportation, causing a general stagnation despite advances in areas like computers and the internet. Thiel told the "Interesting Times" podcast that he still "broadly believes in the stagnation thesis" and that without AI, "there's just nothing going on." Thiel has invested in AI companies including OpenAI, Palantir, and DeepMind, before it was acquired by Google. While AI "might be enough to create some great companies" and add to GDP, Thiel said he's "not sure it's enough to really end the stagnation." Thiel said he'd like to see "way more risks" taken in missions like going to Mars or creating cures for dementia. "I still think we should be trying AI, and that the alternative is just total stagnation," he said. "If we don't find a way back to the future, I do think that society — I don't know. It unravels, it doesn't work," Thiel added.
New York Post
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Post
Disney+ series showrunner denies hit ‘Star Wars' show is a ‘left-wing' political story
'Andor' series showrunner Tony Gilroy said Thursday he does not believe his 'Star Wars' series is 'left-wing.' In an interview with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat on his podcast 'Interesting Times,' Gilroy denied that he wrote the show to represent a left-wing revolution against fascist authoritarians. Advertisement 'I never think about it that way. It was never- I mean, I never do. I don't,' Gilroy declared in response to Douthat asking if he agreed the show is a 'left-wing work of art.' The second season of the critically acclaimed series debuted on Disney+ in April. It follows the adventures of Cassian Andor, a key player in the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. He was a main character in the hit 2016 movie 'Rogue One.' Advertisement The show, which lasted two seasons, provides a dark and realistic depiction about how individuals band together to resist a creeping authoritarian government that uses deception, censorship and violence to cement its own power. 4 The second season of 'Star Wars' series 'Andor' released on Disney+ in April. The cast of the 2nd season sat down for an interview on April 14th. Getty Images for Disney In the interview, Douthat said he believes Gilroy's depiction of the rebellion against the empire in the series is distinctly left-wing. While introducing his guest, he said, 'The 'Star Wars' serial 'Andor' has somehow managed to pull off originality within the constraints of a familiar franchise, pleasing obsessive fans and critics alike. Part of its originality is that it has an explicitly political and, to my mind, left-wing perspective on its world, without feeling at all like tedious propaganda.' Advertisement Gilroy admitted the work was political in that it was inspired by his fascination with revolutions in world history. 4 Tony Gilroy (left) told New York Times columnist Ross Douthat that his show is not explicitly 'left-wing.' Interesting Times with Ross Douthat 'The canvas that was being offered was just a wildly abundant opportunity to use all of the nonfiction and all the history and all the amateur reading that I'd done over the past 40 years and all the things I was fascinated by, all the revolution stuff that not only I would never have a chance to do again, but I really wondered if anybody else would ever have a chance to do again,' he said. Elsewhere, he told Douthat that he was particularly inspired by dictatorships throughout history, like Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's regime. Advertisement 'I want to pay as much attention to the authoritarian side of this, the people who've cast their lot with the empire, who get burned by it all,' he said. 4 The ''Andor' showrunner revealed the inspiration behind the show in an onstage interview. Getty Images for Disney 4 Andor characters Alastair Mackenzie as Perrin Fertha (left), Genevieve O'Reilly, as Mon Mothma (middle), Stellan Skarsgard as Luthen Rael (right). ©Disney+/Courtesy Everett Collection However, the showrunner denied he meant to portray the empire as a right-wing authoritarian government being undone by left-wing freedom fighters. 'But it's a story, but it's a political story about revolutionary ––' the conservative columnist protested. Gilroy interjected, 'Do you identify with the Empire? Do you identify with the Empire?' 'No, I don't,' Douthat said. 'But I don't think that you have to be left-wing to resist authoritarianism. I see the Empire as you just described it: It's presented as a fascist institution that doesn't have any sort of communist pretense to solidarity or anything like that. It's fascist and authoritarian, and you're meditating on what revolutionary politics looks like in the shadow of all that.'
Yahoo
06-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Andor' showrunner denies hit 'Star Wars' show is a 'left-wing' political story
"Andor" series showrunner Tony Gilroy said Thursday he does not believe his "Star Wars" series is "left-wing." In an interview with New York Times columnist Ross Douthat on his podcast "Interesting Times," Gilroy denied that he wrote the show to represent a left-wing revolution against fascist authoritarians. "I never think about it that way. It was never- I mean, I never do. I don't," Gilroy declared in response to Douthat asking if he agreed the show is a "left-wing work of art." 'Star Wars' Actor John Boyega Says Series Was 'So White' In New Documentary The second season of the critically acclaimed series debuted on Disney+ in April. It follows the adventures of Cassian Andor, a key player in the rebellion against the Galactic Empire. He was a main character in the hit 2016 movie "Rogue One." The show, which lasted two seasons, provides a dark and realistic depiction about how individuals ban together to resist a creeping authoritarian government that uses deception, censorship and violence to cement its own power. Read On The Fox News App In the interview, Douthat said he believes Gilroy's depiction of the rebellion against the empire in the series is distinctly left-wing. While introducing his guest, he said, "The 'Star Wars' serial 'Andor' has somehow managed to pull off originality within the constraints of a familiar franchise, pleasing obsessive fans and critics alike. Part of its originality is that it has an explicitly political and, to my mind, left-wing perspective on its world, without feeling at all like tedious propaganda." Bill Maher Rips Left's 'Exclusionary Attitude' As 'Hamilton' Cancels Shows At Trump-backed Kennedy Center Gilroy admitted the work was political in that it was inspired by his fascination with revolutions in world history. "The canvas that was being offered was just a wildly abundant opportunity to use all of the nonfiction and all the history and all the amateur reading that I'd done over the past 40 years and all the things I was fascinated by, all the revolution stuff that not only I would never have a chance to do again, but I really wondered if anybody else would ever have a chance to do again," he said. Elsewhere, he told Douthat that he was particularly inspired by dictatorships throughout history, like Italian dictator Benito Mussolini's regime. "I want to pay as much attention to the authoritarian side of this, the people who've cast their lot with the empire, who get burned by it all," he said. However, the showrunner denied he meant to portray the empire as a right-wing authoritarian government being undone by left-wing freedom fighters. Click Here For More Coverage Of Media And Culture "But it's a story, but it's a political story about revolutionary ––" the conservative columnist protested. Gilroy interjected, "Do you identify with the Empire? Do you identify with the Empire?" "No, I don't," Douthat said. "But I don't think that you have to be left-wing to resist authoritarianism. I see the Empire as you just described it: It's presented as a fascist institution that doesn't have any sort of communist pretense to solidarity or anything like that. It's fascist and authoritarian, and you're meditating on what revolutionary politics looks like in the shadow of all that."Original article source: 'Andor' showrunner denies hit 'Star Wars' show is a 'left-wing' political story
