{
  "id": 8250914,
  "title": "Apocalypse Now: Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor Investigate the End-Timers Alliance",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/apocalypse-now-naomi-klein-and-astra-taylor-investigate-the-end",
  "topic": "culture",
  "section": "Culture",
  "published": "2026-09-18T13:30:00.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Intercept",
    "slug": "the-intercept-theintercept",
    "url": "https://theintercept.com/2026/09/18/naomi-klein-astra-taylor-ai-religious-apocalypse-doom/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The battle over the future is happening right before our eyes. As debates rage in Washington over efforts to control artificial intelligence before it's too late amidst ongoing conflicts globally, the world's most influential players are scheming to hasten a familiar vision of end times. This week on The Intercept Briefing, host Akela Lacy chats with renowned authors and filmmakers Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor, whose new book, \"End Times Fascism and the Fight for the Living World,\" identifies the players pushing for accelerated global destruction to save their own groups.\n\nKlein and Taylor argue that this \"end times fascism\" is a three-pronged alliance. First, religious fundamentalists who support President Trump aim to hasten Armageddon so Jesus can return. Second, tech accelerationists celebrate the potential of superintelligent digital beings taking over. Third, ethnonationalists view immigration as an existential threat, so they fortify borders and hoard resources. All these groups share the belief that the current world is doomed and their respective groups will survive the aftermath.\n\nWhile it may seem bizarre, the authors emphasize that this dangerous mindset must not be ignored. Klein warns that this pattern of thought leads people to embrace the worst outcomes and not fear what they should. For example, when Trump shares videos of a remodeled Gaza with a Trump Tower, he tells a version of this story. Similarly, when tech leaders like Sam Altman claim they're creating a \"digital god\" and ushering in a utopia powered by AI, they are also part of this narrative.\n\nThe authors draw a comparison between this worldview and Kelly Hayes, an activist in Chicago, who states that for techno-fascists, the \"subhumans\" are simply humans in general. This concept opens up a broader fight beyond the traditional \"us versus them\" dichotomy, entering a new realm of conflict between humans and machines. Taylor notes that there's an unprecedented level of resistance across the political spectrum to this \"inevitable future,\" particularly in the fight against data centers.\n\nDespite the alarming nature of this alliance, Klein and Taylor believe it's crucial to identify and confront this ideology. They argue that by understanding this dangerous narrative, people can start to break free from the supposed \"inevitable future\" and forge a new path forward. For more details, listen to the full conversation on The Intercept Briefing, available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, YouTube, or other podcast platforms.",
  "summary": "What’s driving religious fundamentalists, tech accelerationists, and anti-immigrant ethnonationalists to bring about the end of the world? The post Apocalypse Now: Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor Investigate the End-Timers Alliance appeared first on The Intercept .",
  "key_points": [
    "Authors Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor investigate \"end times fascism\" alliance.",
    "Three-pronged alliance: religious fundamentalists, tech accelerationists, ethnonationalists.",
    "Belief that current world is doomed, their groups will survive aftermath."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "The Intercept",
        "title": "Apocalypse Now: Naomi Klein and Astra Taylor Investigate the End-Timers Alliance",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/18/apocalypse-now-naomi-klein-and-astra-taylor-investigate-the-end-8252901",
        "published": "2026-09-18T13:30:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}