9 Comments
User's avatar
Ben Giordano's avatar

Most of what’s out there now is SpiritSlop—but that’s a function of the inputs, not the medium. AI didn’t invent McSpirituality, it just scales it. The real risk isn’t that AI becomes God, it’s that we stop looking for anything deeper once it starts sounding close enough.

Expand full comment
James's avatar

Even if most individuals stop looking deeper, I have faith that some will. Most didn't anyway before AI, why would they after?

Like you said AI is simply scaling what is already available. I don't think everyone is meant to delve deeper, there is a reason that there are more members of churches and faiths than leaders of them.

Expand full comment
Art Schumacher's avatar

Thanks Jamie. This is awesome stuff and you presented so well. So looking forward to the next part. This has been timely for me because I use AI alot and it has been easy to forget sometimes in the exchanges - that its not human. This level of technology is simply an advanced form of reification that has been at work in human consciousness since we could first start to think symbolically. It echoes Mumford's machining mind that creates machines that in turn re-inforce the machining mind. It's a feedback loop that extends Weber's "Iron cage" to almost every facet of modern life and it yet it seems so inevitable. Yes its so dystopic and nutso as Camille rightly describes it and because so so few people can see that terrifies me sometimes. But if there is one thing I want to hold on too no matter how bad it gets is the fact that every human being is fundamentally good and that against the stealy and hard psychosocial cages we find ourselves in there is still the innate capacity to 'see through', behind and beyond. It just needs more people like you guys here to bring it to their attention and within context. Well the latter is the hard part. But that's what all of this has to be about

Expand full comment
Tanner Janesky's avatar

It will be interesting, and scary, to see if AI facilitates a convergence of human beliefs, biases, and religion, or a wild divergence and more polarization.

Expand full comment
Jessica Humphrey's avatar

I’m close with many MAHA moms and they are nowhere near Q-Anon.

Expand full comment
Jamie Wheal's avatar

perhaps...but do they still believe vaccines cause autism?

Expand full comment
Jessica Humphrey's avatar

Most are not sure whether they do or not. They’re just sure that they don’t trust the system.

Expand full comment
Camille Sheppard's avatar

Truly dystopian... It's all nutso.

Expand full comment