أنبياء الذكاء الاصطناعي | لماذا يبيعنا وادي السيليكون نهاية العالم

The book “Prophets of Artificial Intelligence | Why Silicon Valley is Selling Us the Apocalypse?” (Les prophètes de l'IA: Pourquoi la Silicon Valley nous vend l'apocalypse) by Thibault Prévost, an in-depth critical analysis of the discourse surrounding artificial intelligence, considering it closer to a "religious doctrine" than a mere technical development. ## Artificial Intelligence as a New Religion Prevost believes that Silicon Valley startups are no longer selling “progress” but rather selling “existential transformation” or “the end of history.” Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) is portrayed as a divine entity capable of ridding humanity of its problems or completely annihilating it, which the author calls “prophetic propensity.” ## A “scare” strategy to achieve dominance The book analyzes how “tech moguls” (such as the directors of OpenAI and Microsoft) use “apocalypse” rhetoric as a means to: \ Attract investment: by creating a feeling that we are facing the greatest event in human history. \ Neutralizing criticism: By preoccupying public opinion and journalists with imaginary future risks (such as the extinction of humanity) to distract from current problems such as violation of privacy, bias, and environmental plunder. \ Avoid regulation: Demand legislation that only serves large corporations under the pretext of “protecting humanity” from existential risks. ## Technical Reality vs. Imaginary Promises The author explains that current developments in artificial intelligence are still a long way from the concept of a “thinking machine” or “superintelligence.” He considers that the gap between limited technical reality and mythical promises is merely “smoke” aimed at imposing the authority of a new technical oligarchy. The real cost (beyond the realm of fiction) The book criticizes the tangible impacts that are ignored in the talk of “prophets,” most notably: \Environmental depletion: the massive amounts of energy and water consumed by data centers. \ Class struggle: How these technologies enhance the control of a handful of billionaires over global infrastructure and software. Conclusion* The book is a wake-up call; It asks readers to stop looking at artificial intelligence through the lens of science fiction or religious mythology, and start treating it as a political and economic tool aimed at reshaping the global balance of power in favor of a limited group.