Artificial intelligence (AI) has advanced to the point where it could potentially create its own religious texts and even inspire new religions, according to historian and philosopher Yuval Noah Harari.
Speaking at the AI Frontiers Forum in Switzerland, the best-selling
author of Sapiens raised concerns about the profound societal
implications of this development, warning that such technologies could be used
to manipulate human behavior on an unprecedented scale.
"In the future, we might
see the first cults and religions in history whose revered texts were written
by a non-human intelligence," Harari said, as reported by the UK Daily
Mail. He noted that while traditional religions have long claimed their
holy books were divinely inspired or authored by unknown entities, AI now makes
it possible for machines to produce similarly compelling narratives—texts so
persuasive they could attract followers and reshape cultural norms.
The Power of Language and
Storytelling
Harari emphasized that AI's
mastery of human language enables it to craft stories and ideologies with
remarkable sophistication. "For thousands of years, prophets, poets, and
politicians have used language and storytelling to manipulate, control, and
reshape society," he explained. "Now, AI is likely to be able to do
it too."
This capability, he warned,
poses significant risks. Unlike dystopian visions of killer robots enforcing
machine rule, Harari believes AI's most insidious threat lies in its ability to
influence human actions indirectly. For instance, AI-generated doctrines could
instruct adherents to commit acts of violence against others’ a chilling
prospect given humanity’s historical susceptibility to charismatic leaders and
sacred texts.
"Contrary to what some
conspiracy theories assume, you don’t really need to implant chips in people’s
brains to control them or manipulate them," Harari added. "Language
alone can achieve that."
Calls for Urgent Regulation
Harari joined other experts in
urging governments to impose strict regulations on AI before it spirals out of
control. Comparing AI tools to pharmaceuticals, he argued that just as drug
companies must rigorously test medicines before releasing them to the public,
revolutionary AI systems should undergo similar safety checks.
"We need to act quickly
before AI gets out of our control," Harari cautioned. "Governments
must immediately ban the release into the public domain of any more
revolutionary AI tools until they are proven safe."
His warnings come amid growing
unease over AI's ethical and social impact. Recently, an ultra-Orthodox Hasidic
sect based in New York became one of the first religious groups to formally
oppose AI usage. The Skver community issued a statement condemning artificial
intelligence as "open to all abominations, heresy, and infidelity without
limits." While their stance reflects broader anxieties about technology
undermining tradition, Harari's comments highlight how AI could paradoxically
become a force for creating entirely new belief systems.
A Glimpse Into the Future?
The idea of AI-authored
scriptures may sound far-fetched, but rapid advancements in natural language
processing make it increasingly plausible. Tools like ChatGPT have demonstrated
an uncanny ability to mimic human writing styles and generate coherent, engaging
content. If harnessed intentionally or maliciously; such capabilities could
blur the line between human creativity and algorithmic persuasion.
As Harari concluded, the
challenge ahead is not merely technological but deeply philosophical: How do we
ensure that humanity retains agency over its values, beliefs, and destiny in an
age when machines can write our stories for us?
With these questions looming
large, the call for robust global governance of AI grows ever more urgent.
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