The transhumanists of Silicon Valley aim to become more than human – to copy life, edit humanity, and delete death. But Àlex Gómez-Marín argues that transhumanism is a false religion masquerading as a technological program. God is long dead, but Silicon Valley is building a digital one. And this new God, contends Gomez-Marin, is a death-cult, promoting a self-immolating future for our species, for the supposed benefit of a post-human race that shall be better equipped, happier, and live forever here on planet earth and soon depart beyond the stars.

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In 1963 there was an exhibition at the Bronx Zoo in New York City. It was entitled “The Most Dangerous Animal in the World”. In it, next to a window with bars, the following text could be read: “You are looking at the most dangerous animal in the world. It alone of all the animals that ever lived can exterminate (and has) entire species of animals. Now it has the power to wipe out all life on earth.” Behind the bars and next to such words of warning, there was a mirror where humans could see their own reflection… We are indeed the most dangerous species we know of.

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We seem to be facing an Algorithmic Invasion of fascinating dangerous bull****.

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Not much has changed since then, except that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is our current dark mirror. A hall of mirrors indeed. In a secular age dominated by quasi-religious promises articulated by means of a techno-scientific rhetoric, it is thus urgent to pause and reflect upon our way forward as species. AI is a tool, some might say. Of course it is. But is it just a tool? We seem to be facing an Algorithmic Invasion of fascinating dangerous bullshit. How does the future human look like in the age of AI?