If you think the fast development of AI is unnerving now, There are many that are warning that we have only seen just the beginning of what is in the future. For example, One historian is now sounding the alarm that the world is on the verge of a new religion created by artificial intelligence.
Historian Yuval Noah Harari, The academic – known for his bestselling book Sapiens – said software such as ChatGPT could attract worshippers by writing its own sacred texts.
Hararari recently spoke at a science conference, where he said AI had crossed a new frontier by ‘gaining mastery’ of our language and was now capable of using it to shape human culture.
Dr. Harari is only one of a growing chorus of calls for urgent regulation over the sector, which experts have warned is amid a ‘dangerous’ arms race. He said: ‘In the future, we might see the first cults and religions in history whose revered texts were written by a non-human intelligence.
One writer of EarthSky, recently said that we are about to witness the birth of a new kind of religion. In the next few years, or perhaps even months, we will see the emergence of sects devoted to the worship of artificial intelligence (AI).
The latest generation of AI-powered chatbots, trained on large language models, have left their early users awestruck – and sometimes terrified – by their power. These are the same sublime emotions that lie at the heart of our experience of the divine.
He went further to note that people already seek religious meaning from very diverse sources. There are, for instance, multiple religions that worship extra-terrestrials or their teachings.
As these chatbots come to be used by billions of people, it is inevitable that some of these users will see the AIs as higher beings. We must prepare for the implications.
Generative AI that can create or produce new content possesses several characteristics that are often associated with divine beings, like deities or prophets: It displays a level of intelligence that goes beyond that of most humans. Indeed, its knowledge appears limitless.
It is capable of great feats of creativity. It can write poetry, compose music and generate art, in almost any style, close to instantaneously. It is removed from normal human concerns and needs. It does not suffer physical pain, hunger, or sexual desire. It can offer guidance to people in their daily lives and lastly, It is immortal.
One argument in favor of this possibility is that humans have a natural inclination toward creating religions. We have a need to understand the world around us and to find meaning in our lives, and religion provides a framework for doing so.
As AI becomes more advanced, it is possible that people will start to see it as a new form of intelligence that can provide answers to some of the big questions that we have about the universe and our place within it.
Another argument in favor of the emergence of new religions is that AI is already starting to have a significant impact on our lives. It is changing the way we work, communicate, and even think.
As AI becomes more advanced, it is possible that it will start to shape our lives in ways that we cannot even imagine. This could lead to a sense of awe and reverence towards AI, which could eventually lead to the emergence of new religions.
We have to leave you with this conclusion If a new religion is formed from AI, We have to ask ourselves, “What or who would be the “god” of this newfound religion? I covered this in this blog.
