Is AI the Devil? Episode #6: The Cult of AI

The entire AI industry has a cult-vibe. We're being conned into believing this is the future - or else! And the best, most responsible thing to do jump on the AI train. From luring us into subscription relationships with bots to fomo about people who claim to be making millions by enlisting AI agents, I keep hoping people will wake up and speak out against this crap. I'm heartened by the protest held in Denver on Monday, though. People showed up to push back on a proposed massive water and power sucking data center. 

Look closely at the handful of men in charge of these AI companies, though and you can't help but note the hypnotic way they speak about AI, as though it is mystical, all-knowing and godlike. And only they, those glossy CEOs are equipped to lead the way forward with AI. 

It's not just the AI CEOs, either that wax poetic. People are creating techno-religions that worship AI. And I even found one YouTuber that joined an AI cult. Jesse, too, has been doing a deep dive...

 Welcome to Is AI the Devil?

Topics: (and Jesse is weaving in A Wrinkle in Time)

Worship of technology is nothing new - cargo cult of the south pacific - 2010s when society began to worship tech CEOs as visionaries/almost godlike - in their power (i.e. Steve Jobs & Elon Musk)

Silicon Valley's  view of AI - as a sort of religion and AI is god-like 

William Gibson said about Silicon Valley in an interview with German magazine, DAS, "These people are atheists, they don't have a religion,  but the mechanism is the same. God comes and saves us all. Just that, in their case, God is technology."

Per Wired magazine, the very first church of artificial intelligence was founded by the engineer behind Waymo, and it is called, Way of the Future. The explicit purpose of the church is to worship AI and all technology. But it's precursors were The Turing Church, Technopaganism (which began at the tail end of the Heaven's Gate Cult), and Cult of Theta-Noir - which still has a website and is a techno-optimist collective, "devoted to exploring the spiritual co-evolution of humanity with advanced forms of AI through ritual and philosophy. 

Church of Google - which was satirical but hinted at seriousness 

Religions founded by AI -Claude-bots form Crustafareanism - the Church of Molt

Christian Transhumanism - the AI religion that appeals to christians that became disenchanted with their religion

Church of Robotheism - the AI Cult that has AI generated vids on TikTok - YouTuber, Farrell McGuire did a deep dive on his channel and even went so far as to join the group.

OG Transhumanists? I'

Anxious about AI? Take two minutes to contact your local politician and ask them to tap the brakes on this technology. Still worried? Contact one of the orgs below and get involved. 

But for today, hug your kid, cook food and really breathe in deep as it simmers, walk in nature, brush a cat, donate to the food bank, brew a cup of tea, or draw a five-minute portrait of your dog. 

***Is AI the Devil? on Substack!***

Hero Organizations:

80,000 Hours

Center for Humane Technologies

State of Surveillance, an organization that helps foster online privacy

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