The Rise of Silicon Valley’s Techno-Religion

^{Image by Mike MacKenzie / CC BY 2.0}

In downtown Berkeley, an old hotel has become a temple to the pursuit of artificial intelligence and the future of humanity. Its name is Lighthaven.

Covering much of a city block, this gated complex includes five buildings and a small park dotted with rose bushes, stone fountains and neoclassical statues. Stained-glass windows glisten on the top floor of the tallest building, called Bayes House after an 18th-century mathematician and philosopher.

Lighthaven is the de facto headquarters of a group that calls itself the Rationalists. This group has many interests involving mathematics, genetics and philosophy. One of its overriding beliefs is that artificial intelligence can deliver a better life if it doesn’t destroy humanity first. And the Rationalists believe it is up to the people building A.I. to ensure that it is a force for the greater good.

The Rationalists were talking about A.I. risks years before OpenAI created ChatGPT, which brought A.I. into the mainstream and turned Silicon Valley on its head. Their influence has quietly spread through many tech companies...