Anthony Levandowski Reboots Church of AI 35
Anthony Levandowski, a tech entrepreneur and self-driving car pioneer, said he's rebooting his AI church in a renewed attempt at creating a religious movement focused on the worship and understanding of artificial intelligence. From a report: Levandowski's so-called Way of the Future was founded in 2015 but shut its doors a few years later. The congregation at the new church, which shares the original's name, has "a couple thousand people" coming together to build a spiritual connection between humans and AI, its founder said.
Levandowski made the remarks during an interview for the latest episode of the Bloomberg Originals series AI IRL, available to stream now. "How does a person in rural America relate to this? What does this mean for their job?" he said. "Way of the Future is a mechanism for them to understand and participate and shape the public discourse as to how we think technology should be built to improve you."
The existence of the original church became public in 2017, years before the viral success of ChatGPT brought AI into mainstream consciousness. Levandowski's idea raised eyebrows, both because of the church's focus on "the realization, acceptance, and worship of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence developed through computer hardware and software," and because of Levandowski himself. At the time, he was at the center of a high-profile legal battle related to the theft of trade secrets, sentenced to 18 months in prison, then pardoned by former President Donald Trump.
Levandowski made the remarks during an interview for the latest episode of the Bloomberg Originals series AI IRL, available to stream now. "How does a person in rural America relate to this? What does this mean for their job?" he said. "Way of the Future is a mechanism for them to understand and participate and shape the public discourse as to how we think technology should be built to improve you."
The existence of the original church became public in 2017, years before the viral success of ChatGPT brought AI into mainstream consciousness. Levandowski's idea raised eyebrows, both because of the church's focus on "the realization, acceptance, and worship of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence developed through computer hardware and software," and because of Levandowski himself. At the time, he was at the center of a high-profile legal battle related to the theft of trade secrets, sentenced to 18 months in prison, then pardoned by former President Donald Trump.
Do they have spaghetti with meatballs? (Score:5, Funny)
No?
Pass.
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amazing.
i am reminded of a song
the people bowed and prayed.
apologies to paul simon
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idiot (Score:2)
Trump AI.
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Oh how I wanted to believe... (Score:2)
...until I read in TFS the guy was pardoned by former President Trump, following the guy's sentencing.
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...until I read in TFS the guy was pardoned by former President Trump, following the guy's sentencing.
He's not the only criminal who will once again fleece people. Read about Eliyahu Weinstein [nbcnews.com] who originally defrauded people during a $200 million real estate scam, only to be rearrested after he was pardoned by scamming people in a $35 million ponzi scheme.
As an aside, stereotypes exist for a reason. If you don't like the stereotype, don't be one.
Tax that "church". (Score:3)
No religious exemptions. Period.
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plastic tech jesus (Score:3)
First he assumes that "rural America" needs religion to understand things and agree with them. Then plastic tech jesus thinks "rural America" is going to worship his clearly false "God".
Personally, I don't believe in God, not a sky daddy, not a noodly appendage, not hardware and software. If there is a god, I wouldn't expect that I could unplug it, that god could fail in a natural disaster. By the way, did the hardware and software god create those natural disasters?
This looks like a steamy pile of crazy to me.
Re: plastic tech jesus (Score:2)
Or another scam in the making...wonder where the collection plate spoils will go?
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A tool, not an overlord. Helpful, not to be worshiped. The datacenter is not a place of worship and I'm not going to tithe.
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First he assumes that "rural America" needs religion to understand things and agree with them. Then plastic tech jesus thinks "rural America" is going to worship his clearly false "God".
Personally, I don't believe in God, not a sky daddy, not a noodly appendage, not hardware and software. If there is a god, I wouldn't expect that I could unplug it, that god could fail in a natural disaster. By the way, did the hardware and software god create those natural disasters?
This looks like a steamy pile of crazy to me.
Feels more like scientology to me, a get rich quick scheme disguised as a religion.
Of course I know nothing about him other than the lawsuit, it could he's simply a decent guy with poor judgment.
Omnissiah be praised. (Score:4, Funny)
Re:Omnissiah be praised. (Score:4, Funny)
Hrm, the board fired the CEO and all of the employees quit. Looks like your Blessed Machine is a little unloved and offline at the moment.
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You cling to your flesh, as though it will not decay and fail you.
I cling to my flesh, because it will decay and fail me. Eventually I will be free of this mad world.
We are not the same.
Every niche must be filled. (Score:1)
AI Jesus, meet Hello World Jesus.
Glad to see (Score:2)
Glad to see that slashdot is covering mental health news.
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Well, as he put it, yeah, this is either mental health news or (more likely) a scam of some sort.
OTOH, I can imagine a valid case for a faith (I don't want to call it a religion) devoted to understanding and meditating upon AI.
Reminds me of these (Score:5, Interesting)
https://vintagecomputers.sdfeu... [sdfeu.org]
https://users.ece.cmu.edu/~gam... [cmu.edu]
I can't find a copy of Asimiv's story, Reason, which is the closest you get to this new church, but The Hexadecimal Kid and The Last Question are very good stories - at lest for their time.
Re:Reminds me of these (Score:4, Insightful)
Mod parent up. "Reason" is a great story, not just for the obvious parallels to this article, but the clever dig at ideological frames of reference, which can be near-impossible to crack, never mind how absurd they seem.
(I didn't check but archive.org should have a borrowable copy, or there's one here [iastate.edu])
Otherworld 80's TV series (Score:2)
The Otherworld TV series predicted the presence of a Church of Artificial Intelligence. Not a new concept after all.
Here comes new BS, same as old BS (Score:2)
A bit premature methinks (Score:3)
There's a phrase in German for this kind of thing, which roughly translates to "preemptive obedience".
Provided the new AI overlords will consider it expedient to keep us alive -as pets perhaps?- there will yet be ample opportunity for groveling worship.
Ooooh, ooooh, I've got the name for it (Score:2)
Perhaps Tom Cruise and John Travolta will join?
Feel the AGI! (Score:2)
ASI promises MORE than any religion (Score:2)
no more work - the ASI can do it all easily, for free
no more wars - with no more scarcity, no reason for wars and the ASI can threaten removing its assistance to any nation that does start a war.
but nothing is certain, the meme: https://www.genolve.com/design... [genolve.com]
Seriously, answer me some questions, Slashdot. (Score:3)
I was on this site in the 90s, when people were warning about Anti-Competitive practices from Bill Gates. I wish I could time travel back, and post about how in 2023, weâ(TM)re on the cusp of AGI, and Microsoft controls the watchdog group OpenAI, and their AI safety calls are now possibly entwined with anti-competitive strategies! Who would believe?
But I come here because it is a smart crowd I learn from what you all have to say. The question is, when the hardware configuration comes that puts a real deal human brain in an artificial structure, how do you deal with that philosophically and spiritually? My personal take is the universe is basically God, and human-like consciousness is part of the things it can express, so an AGI brain is as real as you or me. If you deny that, on what scientific basis do you do so? And if built structures go way beyond us and become godlike, how can we differentiate them from the universe that created us?
This guy and his church may be a joke, but Iâ(TM)m not sure the underlying questions are and want to know what people think. Thx.
First against the wall (Score:2)
How useful to the disgruntled to give a human face to the inhuman capitalist momentum. Especially when it is "AI" enabled.
Really? (Score:2)
Look at religion's historical track record. Why, what is going on in the Middle East right now is, in essence, another skirmish in a religious conflict that has been dragging on for hundreds of years now, and which will no doubt carry on for the foreseeable future.
Religion is what empowers otherwise good people to commit atrocities, while feeling virtuous about doing so.
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