Peter Thiel Says AI Is Like the Internet in the Late '90s — 'More Than a Nothing Burger' But 'Less Than a Total Transformation'

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If you've been waiting for A.I. to launch us into a Jetsons-style utopia where Martian real estate is booming, Peter Thiel's here to lower your expectations — with his usual dry bite.

Last week, The New York Times published an edited transcript of its "Interesting Times" podcast episode titled "Peter Thiel and the Antichrist" — yes, that's the actual headline. In the conversation, opinion columnist Ross Douthat spoke with the famously contrarian tech billionaire about A.I., Mars, and why tech-driven salvation may not be just around the corner.