"...conducted in the syntax of code and cloaked in the euphemisms of progress".
This is the very embodiment of everything Silicon Valley stands for.
//
'"… the most successful founders do not set out to create companies. They are on a mission to create something closer to a religion." Altman once mused'
Or, perhaps more accurately, a cult. The cult of vulture capitalism.
//
"...cloaked in the missionary grammar of safety, alignment, and humanity"
They're disingenuous to the core.
//
"...whose true function is to obscure the conversion of mission into market share. This isn't just regulatory arbitrage. It's a philosophical sleight of hand. The board had one job: to guard humanity against AGI’s misuse. Instead, they became stewards of a valuation".
The board was the misdirection - a primary requirement for successful legerdemain.
//
"It is the consequence of choices made by a few, for the benefit of fewer".
And therein lies the problem. It's no coincidence that this description perfectly fits today's U.S. federal government.
//
"This new faith has its tenets: the inevitability of AGI; the divine logic of scaling laws; the eschatology of long-termism, where harms today are justified by an abstract future salvation. And like all theologies, it operates best when cloaked in power and shorn of accountability".
Again, perfectly describing the current U.S. federal government.
//
We have our work cut out for us, and it's a very long term project. A Gantt chart stretching for miles in both directions.
Thank you for this sharp-edged analysis. You are not just reading between the lines, you are rewriting them with the clarity they deserve.
"The cult of vulture capitalism" is precisely right. It moves beyond the idea of a belief system and gets to the core of who benefits from that belief. It’s a theology whose primary sacrament is shareholder value.
Your repeated parallel to the U.S. federal government is impossible to ignore, because the blueprint is the same. An insular elite, a narrative of progress or national interest that justifies immense cost, a system of "checks and balances" that often feels like theater, and a public left to bear the consequences. It’s a crisis of governance, and Silicon Valley is simply its most efficient and rapidly iterating new franchise.
You are right, our work is cut out for us. That Gantt chart is long, but the alternative is to let them build the future without our input. We can't afford that. Thank you for being in the fight.
We definitely can't afford it - it's literally existential.
One thing I find interesting about religion and cults - it's hard to distinguish the dividing line - is that they both revolve around organized superstition. It's been that way since prehistoric times, when someone, somewhere, realized he or she could have power over everyone else by convincing them that he/she alone has the ear of the deity du jour.
We can easily see not only a parallel with the government, but an outright usurpation of it - with MuskRat running DOGE being the most egregious example. It's shocking how Project 2025 aligns so neatly with the ideas of "Mencius Moldbug".
Passengers, please fasten your seatbelts, heavy turbulence up ahead.
That’s a powerful framing. Your point about religion, cults, and "organized superstition" is the timeless political insight that underlies this entire issue. The claim to have the "ear of the deity du jour", whether that deity is a sculpture or an emergent AGI, has always been the foundational play for claiming unaccountable power. The new priests are the CEOs and chief scientists who tell us they alone understand the alignment problem or the path to salvation.
You are right to see the line between a parallel to government and an "outright usurpation" becoming blurry. When tech platforms can manipulate economies and tech ideologies inform political projects, the distinction starts to lose its meaning. The crisis of governance we see in tech doesn't stay confined to tech; it bleeds into every aspect of public life.
Indeed, seatbelts on. The work now is to build better navigation systems and demand a hand on the controls, not just brace for the turbulence. Thanks for taking the conversation even deeper.
Taking this topic into religious cult aspect of AI, (aka the AI church, now founded) reminds me of when the political and the religious were aligned during another time period in history.
Heavy turbulence ahead or a tornado pulling us into its vortex, releasing our human blood splattered, and our humanity torn?
It's why it's so necessary for each of us to engage, even if it is simply to inform our fellow citizens that this is an existential battle being waged, and like all wars, it takes everyone being aware of the attack, and doing their part.
For those of us aware of the cognitive warfare, from Colin's frequent posts here, we know the risks.
Amen, no pun intended. It does rather feel like an EF5 at times, doesn't it?
Disseminating this information will be most challenging in the face of all the noise pollution coming out of the media, especially broligarch funded reichwing media.
The AI Cult seems to mesh neatly with the political/religious MAGA Cult we're currently experiencing.
We know that 'noise' is a production from the cognitive warfare battling for our minds, and it is armed with tools that are ubiquitous, and seemingly to most, innocuous. Gosh, it was be so much easier if men with guns were at the door!
I tackle the lack of critical thinking with my students, as does Colin, but many days, I can be overwhelmed by the task. So, it is not surprising that those with responsibilities that I no longer have- a full time job and children to raise- feel unable to engage.
If AGI must be governed as a republic ( Prof Lewis), We need to impact access to information that honestly and directly informs citizens on the urgent need to create governance over AI now. How?
How? Ah therein lies the rub! With that cognitive warfare being waged by the propaganda machine, and an all too compliant Congress and Supreme Court, we are at a most challenging impasse.
I hope that all of the rallies that we've had thus far, combined with a few Democratic Senators and Representatives holding town halls in GOP districts will move the needle - at least a little bit. It seems like a Sisyphean task for now, but maybe, just maybe, if we keep pushing, and keep the pressure up, we can break this chokehold.
Perfect Timing for this post as I just began reading the 'Empire of AI'.
The tenor of this post seems to reflect more concern than in our recent conversation on whether OpenAI can be trusted with our data. Or perhaps, this is merely a reflection of our mutual dissonance on this topic of AI, the ongoing struggle to maintain techno-optimism in the face of ongoing concerns.
Governance was highlighted in your last post on cognitive warfare, which I am still pondering. As you stated, 'if AGI is coming, it must not arrive as an emperor. It must be governed as a republic", I'm curious whether your students dialogue with you on what their role is in guarding humanity against the abuse of AI, and if so, what is your reply.
Governance is imperative yet, governance is snail pace compared to AI's expeditious rocket pace. A friend recently presented a seminar on AI governance. One audience member attacked his presentation saying that, "to take the time for governance, we'd be lifting our foot off the gas pedal; companies can't afford to do that". My friend replied that governance is an indispensable coolant in the AI engine. I rather liked that metaphor.
Thank you for this wonderful comment. Isn't it so affirming that our posts are connecting and building on one another. You have put your finger on the central tension many of us feel. The techno-optimism is alluring, but as Hao’s book demonstrates with such forensic detail, the architecture of this new empire is built on a foundation of hidden costs. My growing concern is not a loss of faith in technology, but a loss of patience with the narratives that obscure its true impact. (I think we will come back to the narrative many times).
Your question about my students is probing and one I reflect on often:-) When they ask about their role, I tell them their most vital contribution won't be a line of code, but a moment of courage. I encourage them to be:
The Historian: To understand, as Hao’s book shows, that technology is never neutral. It always has a political and social history, and their work is part of that lineage.
The Ethicist: To be the person on the team who relentlessly asks "for whom?" Who are the unseen stakeholders? Whose voice is missing from this design process? (A systems thinking approach)
The Citizen: To see their work not as a purely technical craft, but as an act of public service with profound civic implications. Their responsibility is not just to their employer, but to the society their products will shape.
I really admire your friend’s metaphor of governance as a "coolant." wow - that elegantly refutes the false dichotomy of "speed vs. safety." An engine without coolant doesn't just go slower; it seizes up and destroys itself. Governance, in this sense, isn’t about hindering innovation; it’s the essential framework that makes durable, trustworthy innovation possible. It's the difference between a rocket and a bomb.
"...conducted in the syntax of code and cloaked in the euphemisms of progress".
This is the very embodiment of everything Silicon Valley stands for.
//
'"… the most successful founders do not set out to create companies. They are on a mission to create something closer to a religion." Altman once mused'
Or, perhaps more accurately, a cult. The cult of vulture capitalism.
//
"...cloaked in the missionary grammar of safety, alignment, and humanity"
They're disingenuous to the core.
//
"...whose true function is to obscure the conversion of mission into market share. This isn't just regulatory arbitrage. It's a philosophical sleight of hand. The board had one job: to guard humanity against AGI’s misuse. Instead, they became stewards of a valuation".
The board was the misdirection - a primary requirement for successful legerdemain.
//
"It is the consequence of choices made by a few, for the benefit of fewer".
And therein lies the problem. It's no coincidence that this description perfectly fits today's U.S. federal government.
//
"This new faith has its tenets: the inevitability of AGI; the divine logic of scaling laws; the eschatology of long-termism, where harms today are justified by an abstract future salvation. And like all theologies, it operates best when cloaked in power and shorn of accountability".
Again, perfectly describing the current U.S. federal government.
//
We have our work cut out for us, and it's a very long term project. A Gantt chart stretching for miles in both directions.
Thank you for this sharp-edged analysis. You are not just reading between the lines, you are rewriting them with the clarity they deserve.
"The cult of vulture capitalism" is precisely right. It moves beyond the idea of a belief system and gets to the core of who benefits from that belief. It’s a theology whose primary sacrament is shareholder value.
Your repeated parallel to the U.S. federal government is impossible to ignore, because the blueprint is the same. An insular elite, a narrative of progress or national interest that justifies immense cost, a system of "checks and balances" that often feels like theater, and a public left to bear the consequences. It’s a crisis of governance, and Silicon Valley is simply its most efficient and rapidly iterating new franchise.
You are right, our work is cut out for us. That Gantt chart is long, but the alternative is to let them build the future without our input. We can't afford that. Thank you for being in the fight.
We definitely can't afford it - it's literally existential.
One thing I find interesting about religion and cults - it's hard to distinguish the dividing line - is that they both revolve around organized superstition. It's been that way since prehistoric times, when someone, somewhere, realized he or she could have power over everyone else by convincing them that he/she alone has the ear of the deity du jour.
We can easily see not only a parallel with the government, but an outright usurpation of it - with MuskRat running DOGE being the most egregious example. It's shocking how Project 2025 aligns so neatly with the ideas of "Mencius Moldbug".
Passengers, please fasten your seatbelts, heavy turbulence up ahead.
That’s a powerful framing. Your point about religion, cults, and "organized superstition" is the timeless political insight that underlies this entire issue. The claim to have the "ear of the deity du jour", whether that deity is a sculpture or an emergent AGI, has always been the foundational play for claiming unaccountable power. The new priests are the CEOs and chief scientists who tell us they alone understand the alignment problem or the path to salvation.
You are right to see the line between a parallel to government and an "outright usurpation" becoming blurry. When tech platforms can manipulate economies and tech ideologies inform political projects, the distinction starts to lose its meaning. The crisis of governance we see in tech doesn't stay confined to tech; it bleeds into every aspect of public life.
Indeed, seatbelts on. The work now is to build better navigation systems and demand a hand on the controls, not just brace for the turbulence. Thanks for taking the conversation even deeper.
Taking this topic into religious cult aspect of AI, (aka the AI church, now founded) reminds me of when the political and the religious were aligned during another time period in history.
Heavy turbulence ahead or a tornado pulling us into its vortex, releasing our human blood splattered, and our humanity torn?
It's why it's so necessary for each of us to engage, even if it is simply to inform our fellow citizens that this is an existential battle being waged, and like all wars, it takes everyone being aware of the attack, and doing their part.
For those of us aware of the cognitive warfare, from Colin's frequent posts here, we know the risks.
Amen, no pun intended. It does rather feel like an EF5 at times, doesn't it?
Disseminating this information will be most challenging in the face of all the noise pollution coming out of the media, especially broligarch funded reichwing media.
The AI Cult seems to mesh neatly with the political/religious MAGA Cult we're currently experiencing.
We know that 'noise' is a production from the cognitive warfare battling for our minds, and it is armed with tools that are ubiquitous, and seemingly to most, innocuous. Gosh, it was be so much easier if men with guns were at the door!
I tackle the lack of critical thinking with my students, as does Colin, but many days, I can be overwhelmed by the task. So, it is not surprising that those with responsibilities that I no longer have- a full time job and children to raise- feel unable to engage.
If AGI must be governed as a republic ( Prof Lewis), We need to impact access to information that honestly and directly informs citizens on the urgent need to create governance over AI now. How?
How? Ah therein lies the rub! With that cognitive warfare being waged by the propaganda machine, and an all too compliant Congress and Supreme Court, we are at a most challenging impasse.
I hope that all of the rallies that we've had thus far, combined with a few Democratic Senators and Representatives holding town halls in GOP districts will move the needle - at least a little bit. It seems like a Sisyphean task for now, but maybe, just maybe, if we keep pushing, and keep the pressure up, we can break this chokehold.
Perfect Timing for this post as I just began reading the 'Empire of AI'.
The tenor of this post seems to reflect more concern than in our recent conversation on whether OpenAI can be trusted with our data. Or perhaps, this is merely a reflection of our mutual dissonance on this topic of AI, the ongoing struggle to maintain techno-optimism in the face of ongoing concerns.
Governance was highlighted in your last post on cognitive warfare, which I am still pondering. As you stated, 'if AGI is coming, it must not arrive as an emperor. It must be governed as a republic", I'm curious whether your students dialogue with you on what their role is in guarding humanity against the abuse of AI, and if so, what is your reply.
Governance is imperative yet, governance is snail pace compared to AI's expeditious rocket pace. A friend recently presented a seminar on AI governance. One audience member attacked his presentation saying that, "to take the time for governance, we'd be lifting our foot off the gas pedal; companies can't afford to do that". My friend replied that governance is an indispensable coolant in the AI engine. I rather liked that metaphor.
Thank you for this wonderful comment. Isn't it so affirming that our posts are connecting and building on one another. You have put your finger on the central tension many of us feel. The techno-optimism is alluring, but as Hao’s book demonstrates with such forensic detail, the architecture of this new empire is built on a foundation of hidden costs. My growing concern is not a loss of faith in technology, but a loss of patience with the narratives that obscure its true impact. (I think we will come back to the narrative many times).
Your question about my students is probing and one I reflect on often:-) When they ask about their role, I tell them their most vital contribution won't be a line of code, but a moment of courage. I encourage them to be:
The Historian: To understand, as Hao’s book shows, that technology is never neutral. It always has a political and social history, and their work is part of that lineage.
The Ethicist: To be the person on the team who relentlessly asks "for whom?" Who are the unseen stakeholders? Whose voice is missing from this design process? (A systems thinking approach)
The Citizen: To see their work not as a purely technical craft, but as an act of public service with profound civic implications. Their responsibility is not just to their employer, but to the society their products will shape.
I really admire your friend’s metaphor of governance as a "coolant." wow - that elegantly refutes the false dichotomy of "speed vs. safety." An engine without coolant doesn't just go slower; it seizes up and destroys itself. Governance, in this sense, isn’t about hindering innovation; it’s the essential framework that makes durable, trustworthy innovation possible. It's the difference between a rocket and a bomb.