Billionaire Peter Thiel, co-founder of Palantir and PayPal, reportedly warned that regulating artificial intelligence could accelerate the rise of the Antichrist during a lecture in San Francisco.

Thiel suggested that fearing or restricting technological progress risks empowering evil, according to attendees cited by the Wall Street Journal.

The lecture series, organized by the Acts 17 Collective, explores biblical themes and technology, including Thiel’s view that existential threats make society ripe for authoritarian control.

Palantir recently announced a £1.5 billion UK investment, with the Ministry of Defence expected to spend up to £750 million on AI technology that could assist in battlefield targeting.

Critics have raised concerns about Palantir’s involvement in military operations, including its software used by Israel’s IDF, while the company denies direct AI-assisted targeting roles.

Thiel has previously warned of a “one-world totalitarian state” emerging from AI fears and controversially suggested public figures like Greta Thunberg could be the Antichrist, The Times of London has reported.

Palantir, named after the “seeing stones” in The Lord of the Rings, has been involved in high-profile defense projects, including locating Osama bin Laden.