One of AI’s most prominent proponents and the godfather of self-driving cars, Anthony Levandowski, plans to resurrect his church. What’s curious about this? His church is dedicated to worshipping and understanding artificial intelligence.
A tech entrepreneur and a pioneer of self-driving cars, Anthony Levandowski is giving his AI church, the Way of the Future, a second shot at life.
After shutting it down in 2021, he’s reopening its doors with a renewed focus on connecting humans and artificial intelligence AI. In a recent chat with Bloomberg, Levandowski mentioned that the Way of the Future now boasts a membership of “a couple thousand people.”
Anthony Levandowski is one of the most influential people in the world regarding self-driving cars. He was the co-founder of Google’s self-driving endeavors and became the venture’s CTO when it was rebranded as Waymo.
He also co-founded the autonomous trucking company Pronto. Under his leadership, Pronto became the first vehicle with self-driving technology to complete a cross-country drive in an autonomous vehicle in October 2018.
Initially established in 2015 and described by Levandowski as an organization for those who value progress, the Way of the Future church is making a comeback amidst the rapid advancement of AI. The resurgence coincides with the popularity surge of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and the ongoing turbulence within the AI industry.
A tech optimist, Levandowski envisions AI as a force that can bring “heaven on Earth” for humans. In a departure from traditional religions, he emphasizes the tangible aspects of the Way of the Future, stating, “Here, we’re creating things they can see, be everywhere and maybe help us and guide us in a way you would call God.”
Reflecting on the evolving nature of life forms, Levandowski expressed his belief in the transformative power of AI, saying, “For the last 4 billion years we’ve had organic lifeforms, [but] now, for the first time, things are changing, and we’re going to have inorganic life forms.” As AI continues to evolve, the Way of the Future seeks to build a spiritual connection between humans and this emerging realm of technology, said Levandowski.
