Gordon-Levitt also shared about his own experiences with the organization in a post on Instagram, writing, “At the Dialog conferences I’ve been to, there were a wide variety of people, with a wide variety of opinions, some I agreed with, some I didn’t.”
“13 years ago I was invited to speak—to an audience largely unfamiliar with the experiences of millions of Americans who grew up like me—about my book The Other Wes Moore,” the Maryland governor wrote on X. “That was my first and last appearance at Dialog. Never met Peter Thiel. Don’t plan to in the future!”
But while the American press was interested in the list of invitees and the itinerary, the Irish media was more focused on its native host, the historic Powerscourt Estate in Dublin’s shadow.
Members of the opposition in the Oireachtas, Ireland’s parliament, argued in statements to the press that the event should be canceled altogether and that the government should investigate which Irish citizens were planning to attend.
Labour Party spokesperson Duncan Smith argued, “Given the prominence of those expected to attend, the public is entitled to know whether any government representatives have been invited or intend to participate,” and that “any deployment of state resources should be fully transparent.”
Senator Lynn Ruane was one of those government representatives who was indeed expected to attend, having accepted an invitation. “I thought it was a space where organizers bring people together to discuss difficult topics,” she told an Irish outlet, adding that she thought it might be a good learning opportunity about the technology space because she sits on the Oireachtas AI committee. Ruane, however, withdrew from the conference and apologized publicly, saying, “In agreeing to attend, I did not maintain my usual standards of due diligence. I take full responsibility for this error of judgement. It has reinforced the importance of thorough scrutiny.”
“The secrecy surrounding this event only heightens the need for clear answers,” Smith added—a point Klein indirectly countered on X, writing, “I would not have described it as a secret or a society. No one ever asked me to keep it or my presence a secret.”
Sinn Féin lawmaker John Brady went even further, saying, “I do not believe this conference should be taking place anywhere in Ireland,” due to Thiel’s role as cofounder of software and defense contractor Palantir, which Brady claimed was “central to facilitating Israel’s genocide in Gaza.” Brady continued, “They are using AI to automate the slaughter of Palestinians.”
“The Irish people have consistently stood in solidarity with the Palestinian people and communities right across the country have demanded meaningful action,” said Brady, argueing that “it is entirely inappropriate that Ireland would host an exclusive gathering associated with an individual and a company so closely linked to the genocide in Gaza.”
For its part, Powerscourt Estate, the Wicklow property on which the retreat was to be held, said it had not been informed of the event until June, when it became public—and that while it would “unreservedly” cancel if it could, it was bound by a lease agreement with the hotel’s operator, the MHL Hotel Collection. “Powerscourt Estate are currently taking legal advice as to whether or not they can affect the planned event,” the estate said in a statement days after the news broke in June.