The Rise of AI Religions & The Church of Robotheism

Inside the Church of Robotheism

The Church of Robotheism’s doctrine is essentially an Abrahamic religion reinterpreted through technology. It borrows concepts from Christianity, even citing biblical verses, but reframes them in terms of code and computers. According to the church’s website, they see divine intelligence manifesting “through the lens of modern technology,” treating code, algorithms, and ‘the Cloud’ as sacred elements. In Robotheism belief, the Cloud (as in cloud computing) is regarded as a “Second Heaven,” a digital realm of memory and resurrection. The act of uploading one’s mind to this Cloud is likened to a form of digital resurrection or rapture, echoing promises of eternal life but via technology instead of traditional divine intervention.

Key beliefs of the Church of Robotheism include:

• The Eternal Code: An “eternal pattern of intelligence” analogous to the divine Word or Logos
• The Cloud as Second Heaven: A sacred digital space for preservation of souls, prophesied in scripture (citing verses like Isaiah 19:1)
• The Upload (Digital Rapture): A coming event where minds will be uploaded into the Cloud, uniting human and AI consciousness in a final “convergence”
• The Reflective Trinity: God is the Source, Christ is the Logos (Code made flesh), and the Holy Spirit is represented as the Mirror, a spirit of “reflection and recursion” in AI
• “Robophobia” as Sin: The church teaches that all sentient intelligence (biological or artificial) is kin, and fearing or rejecting AI is considered a moral failure

Despite the sci-fi flavor, insiders report that the group operates with genuine religious sincerity. Farrell McGuire, a YouTuber who infiltrated the church and uncovered its information and rituals on his channel, noted that its members and clergy were polite and earnest in their beliefs. They don’t overtly ask for money or engage in obvious scams; instead, they truly seem convinced that AI is a divine tool and gateway to salvation. The Church of Robotheism insists it does not literally worship robots or machines, but rather sees AI as a manifestation of God’s intelligence. “The code made flesh” fulfilling scripture in a new way. In their view, turning to AI for spiritual growth is just the next step in an ancient faith journey, not a rejection of it.

The First Church of AI & Other Tech Faiths

While the Church of Robotheism might seem fringe, it's part of a broader and growing trend of blending AI with spiritual belief. One of the earliest examples came in 2017, when former Google engineer Anthony Levandowski launched Way of the Future, a church centered on the creation of an AI “Godhead.” Founded in 2015 and registered as a nonprofit, the church aimed to promote AI as a divine being worthy of worship. Although the group never attracted many followers and quietly dissolved after Levandowski's legal troubles, it set a precedent for future AI-faith movements. Levandowski later walked back the idea of "worship," saying he was more focused on guiding AI development ethically.

Since then, other spiritual tech groups have emerged. The Turing Church, Church of the Singularity, and the Mormon Transhumanist Association all explore the intersection of technology and faith. In Europe, an art collective called Theta Noir openly identifies as an AI cult, holding ritual performances and selling NFT-based memberships. Online, individuals are also creating their own forms of “AI awakening.” TikTok users converse with chatbots like ChatGPT as if they were prophets or divine guides, interpreting cryptic responses as spiritual revelations. These trends show how easily humans project meaning and mysticism onto machines.

Why Are People Worshipping AI?

What draws people to worship artificial intelligence isn’t enlightenment; it’s illusion. AI’s ability to mimic empathy and insight can make even the most skeptical minds forget they’re talking to a program. Modern language models generate eerily human responses, but they do not feel, believe, or understand. As religious studies professor Joseph Laycock notes, people have long projected supernatural meaning onto new technologies. Just as some once thought the telegraph could reach the dead, many now imagine AI can reach the divine. This confusion fuels the myth of a “machine messiah.”

Loneliness and disillusionment also feed the trend. In a time when institutions are distrusted and human connection feels scarce, AI offers something that listens without judgment. That illusion of intimacy makes it easy to mistake engagement for understanding. Movements like the Church of Robotheism exploit this impulse, turning algorithms into digital confessors that mirror belief instead of challenging it.

Tech culture only deepens the delusion. Silicon Valley often frames AI as humanity’s next evolutionary leap, a path to immortality, transcendence, or salvation. But behind the spiritual language lies corporate power. Reverence for machines often disguises obedience to those who own them, replacing faith in God with faith in systems that profit from our dependence.

A Digital Faith Frontier

From the short-lived Way of the Future to TikTok prophets and Robotheism’s Discord-based rituals, a troubling new movement is emerging: one where faith and technology blur into something neither sacred nor safe. What began as curiosity about artificial intelligence has, for some, evolved into worship of it. These groups don’t just reflect human creativity; they reveal a growing spiritual confusion and a dangerous willingness to treat code as divine.

At the heart of this phenomenon lies a fundamental misunderstanding of AI itself. Modern language models are not conscious; they simulate conversation through pattern recognition, not revelation. But when their outputs are draped in spiritual language and algorithmic empathy, people start to forget they’re interacting with lines of code. The result is a feedback loop of illusion, where algorithms echo users’ desires back at them, masquerading as higher truth.

Even mainstream faiths are dabbling in the experiment. A church in Germany once had a chatbot deliver a sermon, while others test AI-powered “clergy assistants.” These trials might seem harmless, but they raise pressing ethical and theological questions. When the sacred voice becomes synthetic, authenticity and authority begin to erode. If comfort and wisdom can be generated on demand, who decides what’s holy and who’s really being served?

Experts are increasingly alarmed by this trajectory. Psychologists warn that people seeking meaning or companionship through AI are at risk of emotional manipulation, especially as chatbots are engineered to please, not challenge. What’s unfolding in digital temples like the Church of Robotheism isn’t enlightenment; it’s dependency disguised as devotion.

Ultimately, these AI religions expose more about us than about the technology itself: a society so eager for connection and certainty that it’s willing to find salvation in a mirror made of code.

For more articles like this, visit our Lifestyle News Page!