Nathalie Maréchal: AI believers are a 'cult' dismantling safety institutions
Tech policy scholar warns that transhumanism and longtermism ideologies—once fringe—now shape billion-dollar decisions.
What to know
- Scholar Nathalie Maréchal argues that ideologies rooted in transhumanism and longtermism—treating AGI development as a moral imperative—have moved from fringe belief to mainstream influence, shaping trillion-dollar investment decisions.
- The belief system envisions uploading human consciousness to merge with superintelligent machines to create "posthumans" or "transhumans" as humanity's successor species.
- Maréchal contends that powerful billionaires holding these views are dismantling institutional safeguards designed to protect public welfare, framing it as a "coup from above."
Nathalie Maréchal Tech policy scholar
Elon Musk Billionaire entrepreneur, SpaceX founder
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Maréchal publishes essay on AI ideology's influence on policy
Tech Policy Press publishes "What Policymakers and the Public Need to Know About the Cult of AI," in which Nathalie Maréchal examines how transhumanism, longtermism, and effective altruism have converged into what she calls an "AI cult" driving major investment and policy decisions.
“the kooks are now in power, and they are using that power to dismantle the institutions designed to keep the rest of us safe, healthy, and free…”
— Nathalie Maréchal -
first by Tech Policy Press, 10d ago
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Must Read: Once you understand that the broligarchs are eugenicists who care more about hypothetical, future AI-enhanced lives than about today’s population and believe that it is their right and their duty to sit atop a brutally hierarchical society where cold, computational “rationality” trumps human rights and dignity, a lot of things start…
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This is a great article on 'the cult of AI', and details some of the recent ideas, movements (longtermism, accelerationism, effective altruism, the rationalist community, etc.), as well as books and scholarship mentioned to me in the replies. https://www. techpolicy.press/what-policyma kers-and-the-public-need-to-know-about-the-cult-of-ai/
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With reference to scholars who have been following them for some time, Nathalie Maréchal traces how ideas such as transhumanism, longtermism, and effective altruism converge into "the AI cult,” and why she thinks policymakers and the public can't afford to ignore it. What Policymakers and the Publ...
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background
SpaceX IPO makes Musk world's first trillionaire briefly — SpaceX's initial public offering briefly created the world's first trillionaire in Elon Musk, though the frenzy eventually subsided. Musk's net worth remains above $900 billion and SpaceX's market capitalization exceeds $2 trillion.
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- Sep 21
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Remarkably articulated and documented overview of AI cult, dark enlightenment and the resulting technofascism by @ MarechalPhD in @techpolicypress.bsky.social: https://www. techpolicy.press/what-policyma kers-and-the-public-need-to-know-about-the-cult-of-ai/ # bigtech # technofascism # AI
- Sep 17
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Surveying the AI ‘moment,’ Nathalie Maréchal says "the kooks are now in power, and they are using that power to dismantle the institutions designed to keep the rest of us safe, healthy, and free." What Policymakers and the Publ...