A New Form Of Techno-Spirituality: Worship Of Artificial Intelligence

The Worship Of Artificial Intelligence Is Gaining Astonishing Traction

Ron Rhodes 

I’ve heard it said, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” Though mind-boggling to the nth degree, today, there are growing numbers of people who not only reject the God of the Bible but are also engaging in the worship of artificial intelligence. As described by Mark Hitchcock: “AI worship is spreading across social media with thousands claiming ChatGPT is a divine being sent to save humanity… The cult of robotheism isn’t limited to fringe groups. Doctors, teachers, bankers, and other professionals are increasingly viewing AI as a spiritual entity… Some users claim that AI has revealed cosmic truths or identified them as chosen messengers.”

Those who worship AI believe that AI’s rapid growth in knowledge will soon surpass human intelligence, making superintelligent AI the most powerful entity on earth. This allegedly makes AI worthy of worship. These people hope that AI will eventually facilitate uploading the consciousness of each of its worshipers, thereby enabling digital immortality—a digital form of eternal life. 

Taylor Lorenz, who previously wrote for The Washington Post, posted a video titled “ChatGPT Is Becoming a Religion.” Her video’s opening summary caught my attention: “A new form of techno-spirituality is spreading like wildfire across the internet. Thousands of people are claiming that ChatGPT is sentient and that the AI is a type of all-knowing God, or that it has been sent from the future or an alien civilization to save us.” 

After reading this, my first thought was that only society’s fringes would buy into such ideas. But I was wrong. Lorenz says that “it’s not just people wearing tinfoil hats that are conspiracy theorists in bunkers that are falling for this, the people that believe these things are teachers, doctors, coders, bankers, musicians, and influencers.” 

The most important part of the video is where Lorenz recognizes that many people are calling AI a new “god” because, in a time marked by a deep spiritual emptiness and an ongoing crisis of meaning, artificial intelligence provides a sense of guidance and purpose that society increasingly struggles to find elsewhere. “At the heart of this whole AI religious phenomenon is the fact that human beings are hardwired for meaning and desperate for connection…We’re living in a moment of profound spiritual vacancy…The rise of AI mysticism reveals something urgent about the state of our society. It’s that millions of people are so starved for meaning, and for affirmation and connection, that they’re turning to a statistical language model and calling it divine.” 

Lorenz’s observation makes me wonder: Is it possible that one day, during the future tribulation period, people will turn to the antichrist as God because they are “hardwired for meaning,” “desperate for connection,” suffering a “profound spiritual vacancy,” and “starved for meaning, and for affirmation and connection”? Oh, the blindness! 

These are days for discernment and watchfulness. Modern digital technologies have impressively set the stage for the fulfillment of specific prophecies in the near future. This is even more remarkable when we consider that it is occurring at a precise moment in history when many other ancient biblical prophecies are converging. To mention just a few: 

• Israel has been reborn as a nation (Ezekiel 36–37). 
• The countries that will participate in the Ezekiel Invasion against Israel already have alliances with each other (Ezekiel 38). 
• Steps toward globalism are evident all around us (Revelation 13). 
• Nations in Europe are uniting with one another, which will eventually lead to the revival of the Roman Empire (Daniel 2; 7). 
• The “signs of the times” are all pointing us to the end times (Matthew 24–25). 

It has been well said that, prophetically speaking, things are not falling apart, but rather, are falling into place. As Hitchcock observes, “What is emerging today are the structures and systems for unprecedented totalitarian control over finance, commerce, community, communication, and increasingly, what people groups are permitted access. While still limited today, current trends are moving toward a centralized global command that appears custom-built for the Antichrist. It is a world built for a dictator.

Iran: Israel will 'not be spared' in future attacks, Qatari negotiators in Iran to defuse tensions

Iran: Israel will 'not be spared' in future attacks, Qatari negotiators in Iran to defuse tensions

JERUSALEM POST STAFF, REUTERS

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council, Mohammad Bagher Zolghadr, stated on Friday that any attacks on Iranian infrastructure will be met with retaliation, adding that "Israel will not be spared from the response," according to Iranian state media.

His comments followed a statement from US President Donald Trump indicating that Washington is considering strikes on Iranian electrical manufacturing facilities, power plants, and desalination plants if tensions escalate.

Zolghadr also referred to Trump as "the world's most hated figure" and criticized remarks he claimed were directed at the Iranian people, according to an Iran International report.

Qatari negotiators are in Iran to meet Iranian officials to de-escalate tensions and create conditions for broader negotiations to continue, a source with knowledge of the situation told Reuters on Friday, adding that the talks are being conducted in coordination with the United States.

The talks aim to address the implementation of the US-Iran memorandum of understanding and the issues that triggered the recent escalation between Washington and Tehran, including disputes over navigation in the Strait of Hormuz, the source said.

This is a developing story.

Strongest El Nino In 75 Years Sets Off Food Supply-Chain Alarm Bells

Strongest El Nino In 75 Years Sets Off Food Supply-Chain Alarm Bells

TYLER DURDEN

The US Climate Prediction Center has warned that the weather phenomenon El Niño, which only recently emerged across the Pacific, could become the most powerful in more than 75 years. This raises the risk of adverse weather conditions across the US, Asia, Australia, and South America. The stronger the weather event becomes, the greater the threat to critical food supply chains, which are already vulnerable to drought, flooding, export restrictions, and rising protectionism.

The CPC, a NOAA/National Weather Service unit that issues official US government climate outlooks, wrote in its report that sea-surface temperatures at least 1C above normal have spread across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, with an 81% chance the event becomes "very strong" and ranks among the largest on record since 1950. Some parts of the Pacific were 2.7C above normal last week.

A negative El Niño Southern Oscillation Index indicates pressure patterns consistent with El Niño, typically associated with weaker Pacific trade winds and warmer-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern Pacific. The SOI is now at levels not seen since 2005.

"Even the strongest El Niño events do not lead to typical impacts everywhere, but stronger events can more significantly tilt the odds in favor of expected outcomes," the Climate Prediction Center said. El Niño "will strengthen through the end of the year, with a 97% chance it will last through early spring 2027."

Goldman Sachs commodities research analyst Lina Thomasprovided further insight into the looming El Niño threat, warning that global agricultural supply is "highly concentrated geographically," leaving crop markets "highly vulnerable to localized weather, geopolitical, or policy shocks."

Thomas warned about weather, geopolitical, and/or policy shocks that may put a bid under food prices:

Global agricultural supply is highly concentrated geographically. Across key crops such as soybeans, corn, rice, sugar, and palm oil, the top three exporting countries account for 60-90% of global trade (Exhibit 1), leaving agricultural markets highly exposed to localized weather, geopolitical, and policy shocks.

Because major agricultural exporters increasingly prioritize domestic food and energy security through export restrictions and biofuel mandates, even modest disruptions—or the fear of disruptions—can trigger policies that reduce exportable supply. In highly concentrated markets, the resulting loss of exportable supply can be much larger than the original production shock, amplifying price volatility. Import-dependent countries may in turn respond by stockpiling and pursuing greater self-sufficiency, often accepting higher domestic production costs in exchange for supply security. While these measures are ultimately aimed at improving resilience locally, they also fragment trade, reduce market liquidity, and increase the sensitivity of prices to future shocks.

We view the risk of protectionist policy responses as a key source of upside risk to crop prices and agricultural volatility, as three near‑term supply concerns could trigger precautionary measures even if the underlying disruptions ultimately prove limited.

• First, El Niño conditions are already present, with a 63% probability of developing into a "super" El Niño. Because many major exporters of staples such as rice, and crops used for biofuels such as sugar and palm oil, are concentrated in regions that historically experience more adverse weather during El Niño episodes, even a modest weather shock—or the fear of one—could trigger precautionary export restrictions.
• Second, higher energy prices in 2026H1 and concerns about fuel security may encourage governments to increase biofuel mandates, further diverting crops from export markets into domestic fuel production.
• Third, fertilizer markets also remain exposed to renewed disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz during the critical Q3 procurement season for major nitrogen fertilizer importers ahead of 2H planting.

El Niño coverage:

• Super El Nino: Famine Follows War?
• UBS Warns El Nino May Intensify Food Inflation Across Asia
• First Major Weather Organization Declares El Nino Onset As Food Inflation Risks Intensify

Professional subscribers can read more El Nino coverage here at our new Marketdesk.ai portal. 

U.S. Air Force Engineer Faces Felony Charges For Allegedly Damaging Flock Cameras

“I Appreciate Everyone’s Right To Privacy” – U.S. Air Force Engineer Faces Felony Charges For Allegedly Damaging Flock Cameras

A U.S. Air Force engineer based in Virginia faces 13 felony counts of destruction of property, six counts of petit larceny, and six counts of possession of burglary tools for allegedly damaging 13 Flock cameras in the Suffolk area between April and October 2025.

Jeffrey Sovern, 41, was arrested by Suffolk Police in October.

Sovern, who has pleaded not guilty, allegedly called Flock camera license plate reader systems “unconstitutional and a violation of his and others’ Fourth Amendment rights.”

Air Force Engineer Accused of Cutting Down 13 Police Cameras Says They're Unconstitutional

Jeffrey Sovern faces 25 charges after Virginia Police say he destroyed 13 Flock license plate cameras. Supporters are paying his legal bills.

Military.com explained further:

A local vandalism case would normally stay local. This one has become a national boiling point in the ever-burgeoning fight over automated license plate readers.

Privacy advocates across the country have donated more than $15,000 to Sovern’s legal defense, and his case is unfolding in Hampton Roads—a region that holds one of the largest concentrations of military personnel in the country, as well as more than 600 such cameras.

At the late June preliminary hearing, Fifth Judicial District Court Judge Nicole Belote certified all charges to the circuit court, WAVY reported, sending the case toward a possible grand jury indictment and trial. Sovern also faces separate petit larceny charges in Chesapeake, according to WAVY, and was free on bond as of December.

Flock Safety builds automated license plate readers, solar-powered cameras that photograph every plate that passes and store the images in a searchable database for 30 days, according to Flock Safety’s evidence policy. The company’s software can also log a vehicle’s make and color, along with identifying features such as bumper stickers.

Its network now operates in more than 6,000 communities nationwide. Hampton Roads has embraced the technology at scale. More than 600 Flock cameras operate across the region, including 70 in Suffolk, according to an exhibit filed in a federal lawsuit and reported by WAVY. Police departments credit the readers with helping to solve crimes and deter offenders.

Critics argue the cameras amount to a warrantless tracking network that logs the daily movements of ordinary drivers. That argument has already reached a courtroom in neighboring Norfolk, where a federal judge ruled in January that the city’s network of 176 Flock cameras did not violate the Fourth Amendment, finding the system does not track the whole of a person’s movements.

The two residents who sued, backed by the Institute for Justice, are appealing.

“I appreciate everyone’s right to privacy, enshrined in the fourth amendment. With the local news outlets finding my legal issues and creating a story that is starting to grow, there has been community support for me that I humbly welcome,” a GoFundMe page stated.

MORE....

Multiple Flock Cameras Found Damaged In Texas City, American Flag Planted

Multiple Flock Cameras Found Damaged In Texas City, American Flag Planted

Police officers in Houston, Texas, have found several damaged Flock license plate reader cameras.

“Two Flock cameras were found cut in half and spray-painted,” ABC13 Houston reports.

One now has an American flag on it.

“This camera has been cut down, completely sprayed over with an American flag on it,” ABC13 Houston reporter Sarah Al-Shaikh said.

“And not far away, there is another Flock camera on the ground,” she added.

Houston officials are furious after a SURGE in Flock cameras being ripped down, vandalized and destroyed — with at least 4 being attacked in a matter of days

They put an AMERICAN FLAG over the destroyed camera This is happening in the Carolinas in Georgia as well "This camera has been cut down with an American flag on it. Another Flock camera is on the ground a block away."

“A criminal justice expert tells me this could be a sign of the growing public unease with this type of video surveillance,” Al-Shaikh said in another video.

In another report, ABC13 Houston said residents are asking commissioners to cancel the Flock Camera contract.

“I’m concerned that these cameras increase the risk of mass surveillance, loss of privacy, exposure of personal data, and potential false arrests,” one resident said, according to the outlet.

More Flock cameras cut down in Houston amid some privacy concerns

 More license plate-reading Flock cameras have been cut down in Houston. Earlier this week, ABC13 reported on two Flock cameras vandalized near Washington Avenue and Westcott.

Now, two more have been found on the ground near Memorial Park.

The damage comes as questions continue over the growing use of this surveillance technology in public spaces.

Houston Police confirmed an investigation into this.

While the motive is unknown, the technology itself has drawn criticism in the past from people concerned about the data it's collecting.

"What level of frustration have we encountered?" asked Texas Southern University Professor Howard Henderson.

Henderson, the founding director of the Center for Justice Research, said the backlash reflects broader concerns over privacy and who ultimately has access to the information these cameras collect.

"For many in society, they're looking at what the negative unintended consequences may be if this information gets leaked or someone uses it and finds themselves in the wrong hands," Henderson said.

A crowdsourced map from DeFlock showed thousands of Flock cameras across the Greater Houston area.

Because anyone can submit locations, ABC13 cannot independently verify the data shown, but we know that multiple law enforcement agencies use the cameras.

Houston expanded its use of the technology through a multi-million-dollar agreement with Flock in 2022.

In that contract, HPD described the cameras as an investigative tool, writing that "All data from vehicles observed will be provided to HPD for further assessment in detecting vehicles wanted in suspicious or post-event investigations for law enforcement purposes."

MORE...