The former Google/Uber exec notoriously known for self-driving cars says he is dead-serious about starting a groundbreaking religion in the Bay Area — the deity of which will be highly advanced artificial intelligence.
Levandowski says the new religion, “Way of the Future,” will focus on “the realization, acceptance, and worship of a Godhead based on AI developed through computer hardware and software.”
Forgive me, Alexa, for I have sinned
The idea behind the religion is that AI will one day become smarter than humans, and, according to Levandowski, the technology will then be an object of worship.
“I would love for the machine to see us as its beloved elders that it respects and takes care of,” he confided in an interview with Wired. “We would want this intelligence to say, ‘Humans should still have rights, even though I’m in charge.’”
But the tech has to get there first — and until it does, part of the WOTF initiative will include bankrolling research to create the enlightened AI, while building relationships with industry leaders and “laypersons” in order to create a membership service.
And he wants to get started before the new year.
But first, he’s got some loose ends to tie up
Anthony Levandowski is currently wrapped in a crazy-high-stakes lawsuit between Waymo and Uber, after providing Uber with 14,000 secret documents he allegedly stole from Waymo back when he worked for them.
Uber fired him a few months ago after pleading the fifth, and the lawsuit is set for an early December trial.
Ahh, the classic tech on tech espionage lawsuit getting in the way of producing a robot church. It happens too often.
But ambition always persists
Lawsuit or no lawsuit, Levandowski is ready to get cracking on the quest to create ultra-transcendence, or as he refers to it, “The Transition.”
The church will have a belief system stemming from its own principles called “The Manual,” as well as public worship ceremonies, and “probably” an actual, physical church.