Will Humans Inevitably Turn Faith in AI Into a Religion?

Imagine a future where AI was all-knowing and all-understanding. These are abilities humans have typically ascribed to Gods worthy of worship. Soon, they may also be among the feature set of artificial intelligence. An article in The Walrus takes this possible future to it’s extreme – asking whether there may come a time when AI itself is worshipped as a religion. The question may not be as unnecessary as we wish it were: 

“The massive decline in traditional religious adherence, combined with a craving for some kind of faith, has led many to embrace alien life, new-age offerings, and dangerous cults … AI could create figures capable of injecting emotion, inflection, and sincerity into a homily and have quick access to the contents of every religious commentary there is. It could also find jokes and witticisms and be able to make it all seem bitingly relevant through its knowledge of current events.”

Having faith in a higher power can feed the soul, yet throughout history, it has also enabled false prophets to take that faith and twist it in order to benefit themselves. Could this happen with AI too? Early experiments blending AI with religion often promise automated spiritual guidance from scriptures, like the “Robot Spirit Guide.” Right now, these tools are formulaic, predictable and cannot compare to the spiritual, communal and emotional rewards of organized religion … but one day that may no longer be true, and the ideas of AI-powered religion may not seem so far-fetched.