Author of Empire of AI highlights religious rhetoric in AGI debate amid OpenAI's culture

Empire of AI, set to release on May 20, explores OpenAI's culture, revealing a deep-seated belief in AGI that borders on religious fervor.
The book highlights how this belief has led to a culture of secrecy and a messianic vision for AI's potential.
Author Kai-Fu Lee notes, “There is so much religious rhetoric around AGI, you know, ‘AI will kill us’ versus ‘AI will bring us to utopia.’”
One striking anecdote involves cofounder Ilya Sutskever burning an effigy during a team retreat, symbolizing the intense emotions surrounding the technology.
Lee argues that the AI industry has evolved into a “modern-day empire,” reflecting the high stakes and fervent beliefs that drive its development.
The book aims to shed light on the dual narratives of AI as both a potential savior and a looming threat, emphasizing the need for a balanced discourse in the ongoing AGI debate.

The upcoming book, 'Empire of AI,' reveals OpenAI's culture of secrecy and its messianic belief in artificial general intelligence (AGI), highlighting the religious rhetoric surrounding the technology, including contrasting views of AI as either a threat or a utopian promise, according to author and journalist, Kai-Fu Lee.