Vance sees some "spiritual dark energy" around AI
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Vice President JD Vance delivers remarks in Brewer, Maine, on August 24, 2026. Photo: Anna Moneymaker / POOL / AFP via Getty Images
Vice President JD Vance said that there is "some really, really weird spiritual dark energy" around some artificial intelligence practices in a recent podcast interview.
The big picture: Vance's hesitancy about the personification of AI and certain use cases strikes a different tone than the Trump administration's advocacy for deregulation and the data centers needed to power the technology boom.
Driving the news: Asked about his thoughts on the "end times" during his appearance with Christian podcaster Bryce Crawford, Vance said he's unsure if we're in them, but that there are some things "about the world" that would make him "not shocked if the Antichrist was walking among us."
- Vance, whose Silicon Valley connections helped power his meteoric political rise, continued, pointing to things with "some of the AI companies you see happening where you feel like there is some really, really weird spiritual dark energy."
- He referenced a "burial ceremony" held for a retired AI model, possibly a nod to fans' 2025 funeral for Claude 3 Sonnet. He told Crawford, "that makes me feel very uncomfortable — and there's some dark spiritual things going on there."
- Vance also expressed discomfort over the use of AI for marital advice, saying, "I think that's kind of satanic."
Between the lines: Vance has advocated for AI innovation without "excessive regulation," in line with the administration's statements on the tech.
- But it's not the first time Vance has warned about how AI is used, telling Air Force Academy graduates earlier this year that "decisions over life and death must be made by humans and not machines."
Zoom out: In the wide-ranging conversation on faith, family and tech, Vance also responded to the controversy sparked by President Trump when a likely AI-generated photo seemingly depicting him as Jesus was posted to his Truth Social account.
- "I know that the president didn't mean any offense," Vance said, adding that the president did not mean to "mock or mimic God."
- At the time, the president said he thought the image — which showed Trump in white and red robes appearing to heal a sick man — was him as "a doctor" and "had to do with" the Red Cross. The image was uploaded (and later deleted) soon after the president let loose on Pope Leo XIV, flaming the leader of the Catholic Church as "WEAK on Crime."
- Vance, who is Catholic, similarly dismissed backlash Trump faced after he shared a seemingly AI-generated image of himself as the pope last year, saying he was "fine with people telling jokes."
Go deeper: Trump's AI team fractures over strategy against G20 backdrop
