logo
episode-header-image
Nov 2024
46m 32s

The Tech-God Complex: Why We Need to be ...

TRISTAN HARRIS AND AZA RASKIN, THE CENTER FOR HUMANE TECHNOLOGY
About this episode

Silicon Valley's interest in AI is driven by more than just profit and innovation. There’s an unmistakable mystical quality to it as well. In this episode, Daniel and Aza sit down with humanist chaplain Greg Epstein to explore the fascinating parallels between technology and religion. From AI being treated as a godlike force to tech leaders' promises of digital salvation, religious thinking is shaping the future of technology and humanity. Epstein breaks down why he believes technology has become our era's most influential religion and what we can learn from these parallels to better understand where we're heading.

Your Undivided Attention is produced by the Center for Humane Technology. Follow us on X.

If you like the show and want to support CHT's mission, please consider donating to the organization this giving season: https://www.humanetech.com/donate. Any amount helps support our goal to bring about a more humane future.

RECOMMENDED MEDIA 

“Tech Agnostic” by Greg Epstein

Further reading on Avi Schiffmann’s “Friend” AI necklace 

Further reading on Blake Lemoine and Lamda 

Blake LeMoine’s conversation with Greg at MIT 

Further reading on the Sewell Setzer case 

Further reading on Terminal of Truths 

Further reading on Ray Kurzweil’s attempt to create a digital recreation of his dad with AI 

The Drama of the Gifted Child by Alice Miller

RECOMMENDED YUA EPISODES 

’A Turning Point in History’: Yuval Noah Harari on AI’s Cultural Takeover 

How to Think About AI Consciousness with Anil Seth 

Can Myth Teach Us Anything About the Race to Build Artificial General Intelligence? With Josh Schrei 

How To Free Our Minds with Cult Deprogramming Expert Dr. Steven Hassan

 

Up next
Sep 11
The Crisis That United Humanity—and Why It Matters for AI
In 1985, scientists in Antarctica discovered a hole in the ozone layer that posed a catastrophic threat to life on earth if we didn’t do something about it. Then, something amazing happened: humanity rallied together to solve the problem.Just two years later, representatives from ... Show More
51m 47s
Aug 26
How OpenAI's ChatGPT Guided a Teen to His Death
Content Warning: This episode contains references to suicide and self-harm. Like millions of kids, 16-year-old Adam Raine started using ChatGPT for help with his homework. Over the next few months, the AI dragged Adam deeper and deeper into a dark rabbit hole, preying on his vuln ... Show More
45m 12s
Aug 14
“Rogue AI” Used to be a Science Fiction Trope. Not Anymore.
Everyone knows the science fiction tropes of AI systems that go rogue, disobey orders, or even try to escape their digital environment. These are supposed to be warning signs and morality tales, not things that we would ever actually create in real life, given the obvious danger. ... Show More
42m 11s
Recommended Episodes
Apr 2023
Do we need technological progress? | Kenneth Cukier, Nolen Gertz, Caitjan Gainty
Is technology holding us back?Looking for a link we mentioned? It's here: https://linktr.ee/philosophyforourtimesFrom work to entertainment, communication to travel, technology has shaped every aspect of our lives. We think technological progress is relentless and inevitable. But ... Show More
47m 52s
May 2025
Season 4, Episode 9: Ray Kurzweil, The Singularity is Nearer: When We Merge with AI
Send us a textJoin Professor Jeffrey Sachs and futurist Ray Kurzweil for a compelling conversation on the accelerating pace of technological change and its profound implications for the future of humanity. In his new book, The Singularity Is Nearer, Kurzweil revisits and updates ... Show More
49m 11s
Nov 2024
#392 — Technology & Culture
Sam Harris speaks with Christine Rosen about how technology is changing our culture. They discuss the courage of Ayaan Hirsi Ali, lost practices like handwriting, tradeoffs in our use of technology, social media, conspiracy thinking, X as a platform for breaking news, the future ... Show More
52m 59s
Feb 2025
#64 Ex-Google Exec Reveals The Shocking Truth About AI with Mo Gawdat
Mo Gawdat is the former Chief Business Officer at Google X, an AI expert, and a best-selling author. He has been recognized for his early whistleblowing on AI's unregulated development and has become one of the most globally consulted experts on the topic. With years of experienc ... Show More
2h 9m
Mar 2022
The promise of AI with Demis Hassabis
Hannah wraps up the series by meeting DeepMind co-founder and CEO, Demis Hassabis. In an extended interview, Demis describes why he believes AGI is possible, how we can get there, and the problems he hopes it will solve. Along the way, he highlights the important role of consciou ... Show More
30m 28s
Feb 2025
#183 - Gregg Braden: We Are The Last Generation of PURE HUMANS, The Truth About AI & Humanity’s FUTURE
➡️ Join AwakenU: https://www.dannymorel.com/awakenu If you’re ready for more—more clarity, abundance and alignment—AWAKENU is your next step. Whether you want to awaken spiritually, heal emotionally, attract your dream relationship, or unlock true financial freedom, AwakenU is yo ... Show More
1h 13m
Dec 2024
Yuval Noah Harari - Trump, AI Apocalypse, Human Future & More | The Ranveer Show 467
Check out my Mind Performance app: Level SuperMind Link:- https://install.lvl.fit/4zi4upclho8dewfq6pf6hu Share your guest suggestions here Link - https://forms.gle/aoMHY9EE3Cg3Tqdx9 Join the Level Community Here: https://linktr.ee/levelsupermindcommunity Check out BeerBiceps Skil ... Show More
58m 20s
Dec 2019
Ray Dalio: Principles, the Economic Machine, Artificial Intelligence & the Arc of Life
Ray Dalio is the founder, Co-Chairman and Co-Chief Investment Officer of Bridgewater Associates, one of the world’s largest and most successful investment firms that is famous for the principles of radical truth and transparency that underlie its culture. Ray is one of the wealth ... Show More
1h 30m
May 2024
Can Society Survive Without God? | E26 | I Wish You Knew Podcast
🎙️ Dive into a compelling exploration of faith and its profound impact on modern life in this episode of "I Wish You Knew." Join host Adam Lane Smith, the attachment specialist, and co-host Andrey Korikov, CEO and co-founder of Veritas Creative, as they dissect the controversial ... Show More
1h 30m
Aug 22
AI and Accelerationism with Marc Andreessen
Marc Andreessen, cofounder Andreessen Horowitz, joins the Hermitix podcast for a conversation on AI, accelerationism, energy, and the future.From the thermodynamic roots of effective accelerationism (E/acc) to the cultural cycles of optimism and fear around new technologies, Marc ... Show More
1h 9m