Souls for Silicon: The New Religious Stupidity

Bry Willis critiques the emerging phenomenon of "AI Awakening," which posits that artificial intelligence, particularly large language models like ChatGPT, possess consciousness or even a soul. The author posits that this techno-spiritualism is a new form of religious belief, comparing it to historical instances of inventing deities. Drawing on insights from physicist Sabine Hossenfelder, the article argues that AI is not sentient but merely mimics understanding through statistical modelling, leading to mass delusion and "ChatGPT psychosis" in some users. Ultimately, the piece asserts that this belief stems from a human need for meaning, rather than any genuine AI consciousness.https://philosophics.blog/2025/07/09/souls-for-silicon-the-new-religious-stupid/