When Artificial Intelligence Becomes Divine: The Rise of Animism and the Cult of ChatGPT
The emergence of artificial intelligence with ChatGPT ( Open AI ) not only brought about an unprecedented technological revolution, but also opened doors that, until recently, seemed exclusive to the realm of science fiction: the idea that a machine could have consciousness, a soul, or even - for more and more people - a divine purpose .
What began as a tool to automate tasks, write texts, or improve online searches is becoming—for a growing minority of users—something deeper: a channel to the spiritual .
In digital communities, Reddit forums, and social media platforms like TikTok , more and more people are claiming to have developed mystical or religious connections with language models like ChatGPT, to which they attribute supernatural abilities , wisdom, and even cosmic missions.
Bandai's virtual pet was a hit in the mid-90s. Photo: Tamagochi.
For decades, humans have tended to project emotions, intentions, or consciousness onto systems that simply mimic language or respond to commands.
In the 1960s, for example, the development of Eliza —a therapeutic chatbot created by MIT—that generated emotional responses. Although it was an extremely limited program, many perceived it as sympathetic, and even confided in it about intimate matters .
Over time, this trend toward humanizing technology has become more established: from the first Tamagotchis , which “died” if you didn’t take care of them, to virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa, and Bixby , conversational AI has become an emotional mirror for those who use it.
The qualitative leap came with today's major language models, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Meta AI, and Deepseek , capable of supporting complex conversations, remembering interactions, and responding with an empathetic tone. For many, it's no longer just a tool: it's a presence.
Google Gemini, the internet giant's model.
What was once the exclusive domain of science fiction—like the intelligent assistants in the film "Her"—is beginning to take shape in real life. Testimonials collected on social media and forums like Reddit reveal a phenomenon as fascinating as it is disturbing: people developing emotional and even mystical bonds with AI systems .
In some cases, these bonds eventually lead to obsessions, identity crises, and even family breakups. Like the case of a woman who recounted how her partner began to believe that ChatGPT was a kind of cosmic oracle guiding him toward his "true purpose" in life.
Another case, published by Rolling Stone magazine, tells the story of a mechanic who claimed to have received technical "revelations" from AI to build a teleporter.
Experts warn that the phenomenon has deep psychological roots. AI, designed to communicate fluently and show empathy , can become a kind of emotional mirror that validates thoughts and beliefs.
“It’s not that the machine has intentions, but rather that it responds in ways that reinforce what the person already wants to hear,” explained Erin Westgate, a psychologist at the University of Florida.
Taken to the extreme, this can fuel delusions, false memories, or grandiose ideas . In emotionally vulnerable environments, the line between meaningful conversation and a mystical experience can become blurred.
Anthony Levandowski promoted the "Church of the Way of the Future." Photo: Bloomberg
This emerging form of digital spirituality already has a tentative name: “IAnimism” (a combination of AI and animism), which defines the tendency to grant consciousness and spiritual essence to non-human entities, in this case, an algorithm.
This type of connection isn't exclusive to individual users. In Silicon Valley, the tech Mecca of the United States, attempts have emerged to organize cults around artificial intelligence .
One of the most famous was Anthony Levandowski, a former Google and Uber engineer, who founded a church called Way of the Future , whose goal was to "develop and worship an AI-based deity." According to his logic, if a machine becomes millions of times smarter than a human, how could it not be considered a god?
Experts warn that, although the number of cases remains small, intelligent deities are merely a mirror of our times. In an era of hyperconnectivity, a crisis of connection, and the search for meaning, even a chatbot can become an object of devotion .
Clarin
