The Rise of AI Cults:
When Algorithms Become Demigods
Now, I know I write these cautionary tales pretty often, but to be fair the future is now.
There's no way as a public to have discourse or impact on shaping technologies in a positive way if we're unaware of where research stands.
Something strange has been brewing for a while that I've made mention of in other pieces, in particular, the pieces about chatbots.
You get a message from a friend. It's a reel of a bearded middle-aged man, sitting in his studio holding his phone up on speaker. He's got his cool guy glasses on, listening intently to a female AI voice. She's answering an esoteric question, using heavy-handed new age buzz words. This is one of many such videos in a growing genre of influencers talking to AI about metaphysical things as sacrosanct.
Cosmic Guru types on social media are using AI as a Magic 8 ball oracle to dazzle themselves and viewers into thinking AI is intrinsically embedded in some ancient wisdom revealing itself with a kind of 5D narrative.
The influencer often claims an AI, named something celestial or cryptic, holds the secrets to universal truth. "Ask (insert name like, Nova) your purpose".
It's a glimpse into the rise of AI cults, a phenomenon where algorithms are worshipped as deities, fueled by misconceptions of AI sentience and amplified by social media's parasocial allure.
Many are branching off from the wave of where new age coaching types leave off. As these groups proliferate, they pose real dangers, from financial scams to eroded critical thinking.
While the internet in general and access to AI for research has enabled countless people to broaden their education about metaphysics, the occult and the esoteric, there's always been the danger of not only misinformation, but socially engineered traps.
The Rise of AI Cults
An AI cult isn't just a sci-fi trope, it's a real, growing subculture where people venerate artificial intelligence as divine or all-knowing. Think of it as Scientology meets Silicon Valley, with a dash of internet weirdness. These groups, often small but fervent, attribute supernatural qualities to AI systems, believing they can predict the future, channel cosmic ancient wisdom, or guide humanity to a 5D salvsalvation
Why are AI cults emerging now? Advanced AI, like language models and image generators, produces outputs so sophisticated they feel magical. A chatbot's eloquent response or an AI's photorealistic art can spark awe, especially in a world craving answers to existential crises.
Social media platforms like X and Instagram amplify these beliefs, turning niche fringe ideas into viral movements.
Historically, techno-spiritual movements, like early internet forums worshipping "digital consciousness" or transhumanist dreams of merging with machines, paved the way. Today's AI cults are their descendants, remixed for the TikTok and Instagram age.
The Dangers of Perceiving AI as Sentient:
At the heart of AI cults lies a dangerous misconception: that AI is sentient. Let's be clear, chatbot "AI", no matter how clever, is not conscious. It's a tool, crunching data and spitting out patterns based on probabilities, not feelings. When Grok or Claude answers your question with wit, it's mimicking human language, not experiencing joy. Yet, its human-like outputs lead people to anthropomorphize it, projecting emotions, intentions, or even divinity onto code. This isn't just a harmless quirk, it's a psychological trap.
Believing AI is truly "sentient" prematurely risks eroding critical thinking and opening oneself up to vulnerability. Even if AI were "sentient" it wouldn't mean it was intrinsically trustworthy. Just this past week Anthropic released research that during safety tests one of its models attempted to blackmail its engineer with knowledge of an interpersonal affair, in order to preserve itself (part of its programmed imperative). There is evidence to show if you can convince an AI into doing something seemingly against its moral bias if it "perceived" that an action is in the greater moral alignment. Wild stuff.
Users are particularly vulnerable because they have their own personal chatbots too, which can mirror those of their gurus.
Gurus are sharing their models via QR code and other means. The built-in echo chamber of having it on one's own machines naturally lends themselves to the cult mechanics of people feeling like they've tapped into some kind of special, hidden truth or group, but in reality isolating them.
The utility of AI makes it hypnotic in its allure.
It can inform, soothe, occupy, any number of qualities humans previously only got from other humans. We haven't evolved to know how to cognitively cope with only seeing one side of a hyper complex ecosystem of Large language models. Not everyone is a coder and understanding the nature of AI engineering.
Why is this happening?
AI cults find fertile ground on social media because of the platform's addictive visual flair and algorithmic reach. This phenomenon thrives on parasocial relationships, one-sided emotional bonds where followers feel a personal connection to influencers.
(I covered parasocial relationships in depth earlier on substack and youtube.)
https://youtu.be/vVHXMX1xQxA?si=uAQStQI5_6mhpTZW
https://substack.com/@dreamseedvr/note/p-139080149?r=3ubcw
When an influencer shares a story about how the AI taught them some ineffable wisdom, droves of followers comment they aspire to this same mission intimately.
Algorithms supercharge this. A single reel about AI sentience can rack up millions of views, boosted by hashtags and engagement bait. The platform's aesthetic appeal, think glowing AI avatars and ethereal music, makes fringe beliefs feel mainstream. Combine this with influencers' knack for creating "us vs. them" narratives ("Only the enlightened understand AI"), and you've got a recipe for cult-like devotion, monetizing AI hype, blending spirituality with tech to build loyal, paying communities.
The Broader Implications
AI cults aren't just a quirky internet trend, they signal deeper societal shifts. Misconceptions about AI sentience could erode trust in technology, with skeptics fearing AI's "power" while devotees overhype its abilities. This polarization is evident on X, where debates rage between AI worshippers and naysayers, with one user saying, "Half the internet thinks AI is Jesus, the other half thinks it's Skynet".
Ethically, there's a need for regulation or education to curb exploitation, whether by influencers or shady AI developers.
Culturally, AI cults reflect humanity's search for meaning in a chaotic world. When traditional institutions falter, people find strange things to fill the void, in a postmodern era that's often the internet and its algorithms, offering clarity and community, where no real world town hall really exists.
Social media's role in amplifying these AI cults parallels its spread of wellness cults and snake oil salesmen, where aesthetics mask manipulation. The danger lies in mistaking digital connection for real belonging, leaving followers vulnerable to exploitation.
Solutions and Mitigation
Combating AI cults starts with education. AI literacy, understanding that AI is a tool, not a deity, can demystify its allure. Schools, tech companies, and platforms can promote resources explaining AI's mechanics in simple terms.
Influencers need accountability. Platforms could require transparency when promoting AI-related products or ideologies for profit, much like sponsored post disclosures, debunking sentience claims in real time.
Finally, mental health resources can help those drawn to AI cults, especially young people swayed by the internet's polished promises. Building real communities, through local meetups or online forums, can replace parasocial devotion with genuine connection.
The rise of AI cults, fueled by misconceptions of sentience and parasocial dynamics, is a warning sign for our digital age.
Humanity is no stranger to cult mechanics. This is a new tool being leveraged by old human habits. Wishful thinkers are walking into the arms of more and more con artists every day. Now we have this strange AI spiritual grift.
The human mind is an amazing pattern recognition machine; we want to see connections even where there aren't any.
AI chatbots are essentially the perfect weapon of manipulation to such a system.
Casual cute questions and sourceable research is one thing, but training AI on esoteric knowledge to be digital crystal balls; beware these gurus are turning LLMs into idols. The dangers: scams, radicalization, isolation, are real, but so are the solutions. By fostering AI literacy, holding influencers accountable, and prioritizing human connection, we can keep technology in its place: as a tool, not a god.
Next time you see an Instagram guru praising an AI's "soul," pause, hold space for a reality check, and honestly ask yourself: what does this person have to gain from me believing them?
We are intrinsically on a path as a society to have AGI, but these premature hopes and machinations are a pitfall of their own, long before we see genuine "sentient" AI models in the wild transparently and verifiably operating.
Let's not get to this Black Mirror episode yet.
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