Why the ideology of AI looks so much like religion

The ideology surrounding artificial intelligence often uses language and concepts similar to religious belief, according to a report by Aleteia.

The report notes that in 2017, former Google and Uber engineer Anthony Levandowski filed paperwork in California to create a religious organization called Way of the Future. The group intended to develop and worship an artificial superintelligence referred to as the Godhead. Although the church has dissolved, the report suggests the underlying impulses remain present in modern discourse.

These impulses appear in descriptions of the future of AI, such as the concept of uploading a human mind to achieve immortality or resurrection. Additionally, the report states that iterations of effective altruism function as a redemption narrative, where followers donate money in hopes of securing a technologically stable future. This discourse frequently employs terms related to sacrifice, mission, and ultimate stakes.