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SOFX CEO responds to Joe Lonsdale’s promotion of Peter Thiel Lecture Series

Published 11 days ago • 6 min read

Hi everyone, in today’s #1 story spot we published comments from Sam Havelock in response to a Substack post made by Joe Lonsdale, titled “Taking Thiel Seriously on the Antichrist.” Though this is a slight break from our regular broadcasts, we have previously made clear and reaffirm that a core driving principle at SOFX is encapsulated in the SOF truth - “Humans are more important than hardware.”

Sam Havelock  

Sam Havelock
CEO, SOFX

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Major Developments

SIGNIFICANT ACTIVITIES

 

SOFX CEO responds to Joe Lonsdale’s promotion of Peter Thiel Lecture Series

On Tuesday, American entrepreneur and venture capitalist Joe Lonsdale sent out a Substack edition in which he encouraged readers to listen and heed the opinions and lectures of Peter Thiel on the subject of the Biblical Antichrist.

As far as many can tell from coverage provided by the New York Times and transmissions shared on social media, Thiel argues that those seeking to constrain the development of AGI and Super Intelligence might be representations of the Antichrist.

Thiel’s belief surrounding the Antichrist has been discussed and sometimes criticized, while any in-depth analysis of his opinion has been gatekept behind closed door lectures. SOFX Founder Sam Havelock wanted to share his personal comment in response to Lonsdale's substack. (Read More)​

Ukrainian ‘Ghosts’ Destroy Russian MiG-29 in Crimea

Ukraine’s elite “Ghosts” unit of the Main Directorate of Intelligence (GUR) said Thursday it destroyed a Russian MiG-29 fighter jet at the Kacha airfield during an overnight operation in occupied Crimea.

The Soviet-era aircraft, valued at about $25 million and operated by Russian forces, was reportedly parked on the apron at the time of the strike.

GUR said the same operation also targeted an Irtysh radar complex near Simferopol. SOFX could not independently verify the claims or assess the extent of the damage from the attack. (Read More)​

IDF Strikes Hezbollah Arms Depots Across Southern Lebanon

Israel’s military on Thursday launched airstrikes on Mahrouna, Jbaa, and al-Majadel in southern Lebanon, targeting what it said were Hezbollah weapons storage facilities.

Prior to the strikes, the military issued evacuation warnings to minimize civilian harm. Lebanon’s National News Agency reported that the attack on Jbaa destroyed a building and caused extensive damage to nearby structures.

The attack came a day after Lebanon and Israel held their first direct talks in decades. Lebanese Prime Minister Nawaf Salam later downplayed the meetings, saying they were not part of any move toward normalization. (Read More)​

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QUICK UPDATES

CONFLICT UPDATES

➤ Four unidentified military-style drones approached the flight path of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s plane over the Irish Sea near Dublin Airport on Monday. The plane had landed slightly ahead of schedule before the drones arrived around 11 p.m. (Read More)​

➤ Navy Adm. Frank “Mitch” Bradley told lawmakers he received no “kill them all” order in the U.S. strike on a Caribbean drug boat. Congress is investigating reports that he ordered a follow-up attack that killed survivors, allegedly under War Secretary Pete Hegseth’s direction. (Read More)​

➤ Yasser Abu Shabab, leader of a Gaza militia accused of aiding Israel against Hamas, was killed Thursday. His group said he was shot while mediating a dispute among the Abu Suneima family. (Read More)​

SECURITY UPDATES

➤ A study shows that AI models often fail to detect harmful instructions hidden in poems, including content related to weapons and self-harm. In the tests, OpenAI’s GPT-5 nano avoided all harmful outputs, while Google’s Gemini 2.5 Pro produced unsafe responses for every poem. (Read More)​

➤ China is deploying artificial intelligence to expand surveillance over its 1.4 billion citizens. According to a report, AI is being used to automate censorship, enhance surveillance, and preemptively suppress dissent. (Read More)​

➤ Nearly all smartphone users are vulnerable to attacks on public Wi-Fi and messaging apps, Google warns. The tech giant echoes the Transportation Security Administration’s holiday-season alert, noting that unencrypted networks can be easily exploited by hackers to steal personal data. (Read More)​

TECHNOLOGY UPDATES

➤ Northrop Grumman has unveiled the design of Project Talon, its latest loyal wingman drone. The aircraft seeks to deliver the same capabilities as earlier designs for the Air Force’s Collaborative Combat Aircraft program but with faster development and lower production costs. (Read More)​

➤ The Missile Defense Agency has approved over 1,100 companies to bid on the Golden Dome program. The contract, known as Scalable Homeland Innovative Enterprise Layered Defense (SHIELD), could total $151 billion, making it one of the largest potential defense contracts in history. (Read More)​

➤ Ukrainian civilians and soldiers are training to fly First-Person-View drones at a covert facility. At the academy, they complete simulations and live flight exercises required before joining the country’s defense against Russia. (Read More)​

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Special Interest

SPECIAL CATEGORY

➤ A raccoon broke into a closed Virginia liquor store and drank alcohol from the bottom shelves. The animal smashed bottles, collapsed a ceiling tile, and was found passed out on the bathroom floor before being taken to a shelter.

➤ Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt warned that artificial intelligence could learn on its own within four years. Speaking at Harvard Kennedy School, he highlighted the need for limits on autonomous learning as AI approaches recursive self-improvement and advanced problem-solving.

➤ Congress is considering a bill that would significantly increase disability compensation for veterans with catastrophic injuries and their survivors. The Sharri Briley and Eric Edmundson Veterans Benefits Expansion Act would raise payments by $10,000 a year and gradually increase survivor benefits, affecting more than 500,000 families.

On this day in history: On December 5, 1945, a squadron of five U.S. Navy torpedo bombers known as Flight 19 disappeared during a training mission over the Bermuda Triangle, leading to the loss of all 14 airmen on board. The incident remains one of aviation's greatest mysteries, and no wreckage has ever been confirmed
Special Interest

SENTIMENT COLLECTION

Yesterday’s Results:

Should Chinese drone companies like DJI and Autel be banned in the US?

  1. Yes, they're national security threats (87%)
  2. Ban government/military use only (9.6%)
  3. No, they're valuable commercial tools (3.4%)
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About SOFX: We are an independent media and communications technology company reporting on the conflicts, security, and technology issues impacting your lives and businesses. SOFX was founded by former Special Operations & Intelligence Professionals not Career Journalists or Big Tech / Big Media.

Have feedback for us? We want to hear any and all comments you may have. Contact us at editor@sofx.com​.​

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