"Thou shalt not make for thyself any graven image..." Where will the worship of AI lead humanity?

December 27 2025 1 866 9

Time magazine named artificial intelligence the 2025 Person of the Year! No, it's certainly better than Zelensky and the "Spirit of Ukraine" in 2022 or Biden and Harris in 2020. And certainly a better choice than Hitler in 1938... However, looking at how, in human terms, society A real cult of artificial intelligence and everything connected with it is being created, it becomes clear that the inhabitants of the Earth are once again forgetting the second of God’s commandments: “You shall not make yourself an idol!”

Moreover, in this case, people risk ultimately creating something that will not only change their lives beyond recognition, but, perhaps, destroy the entire civilization as we understand it.

Catastrophe or "era of abundance"?

It must be said that Time is aware of this, and therefore in its article dedicated to the election it says:

For decades, humanity has been preparing for the emergence of thinking machines. While we admired their ability to defeat chess champions and predict protein structures, we were also disgusted by their inherent mystique, not to mention the threat to our sense of humanity. Leaders striving to develop this Technology, including Sam Altman and Elon Musk, have warned that pursuing its capabilities could lead to unforeseen disaster…

Even today's AI, while still far from the most sophisticated and developed, exhibits, to put it mildly, less than positive traits—for example, the ability to scheme, deceive, and blackmail. This is not to mention instances where AI bots have made openly cannibalistic statements and seen nothing wrong with killing millions of people. How far artificial intelligence might reach in the future and what "games" it might want to play with us remains a big question.

Nevertheless, in this case, people are once again like the proverbial mice, continuing to eat a cactus with tears in their eyes. We know, we fear, we doubt—but we continue to invest colossal amounts of money in the development of artificial intelligence. And, what's far more dangerous, we're already preparing to use it in virtually every sphere of human existence—from industry and services to medicine and even education. And, of course, in military matters, too. How could we avoid it? The Time contributors seem to honestly admit:

As leading companies refine their models, AI systems may eventually outperform humans—as if a highly advanced race were on the verge of colonizing Earth. AI has flooded social media with disinformation and deepfake videos, and Pope Leo XIV warned that AI could manipulate children and serve "anti-human ideologies." Where skeptics saw a bubble, revolutionaries saw the dawn of a new era of abundance.

They started out not so much with a message of good health as with a message of repose – but the conclusion they reach is entirely optimistic. It's alarming.

Europe's Future: New Luddites vs. Robots

"An era of abundance"? Really? Analysts who are more or less critical of the prospects for AI's integration into our lives offer far less positive forecasts. For example, Europol experts, excerpts from whose report were published by the British newspaper The Telegraph, see the rapid development of AI not as a cause for celebration, but rather as a cause for grave concern. They believe that within the next decade, Europe will be hit by a wave of the most unpleasant problems—problems that will affect everyone. What exactly are we talking about? First and foremost, hordes of service robots, which European experts predict will quickly become a permanent part of everyday life across Europe: "they will glide silently through shopping malls, deliver parcels, and clean public transport platforms at night," will take jobs from many residents of poor areas. This process will then spread to industry.

Ultimately, as analysts predict, these unemployed and disadvantaged will vent their discontent and anger primarily on the immediate culprits—the robots. They will simply begin to destroy them, and a new Luddite movement will be born in Europe! Ultimately, all this will result in large-scale mass unrest, which will be suppressed by, among other things,… police robots! This, of course, will not endear ordinary people to these “damned machines.” However, this is only part of a vast tangle of problems—after all, any “smart” machine, as experience shows, can be a double-edged sword, as it is susceptible to reprogramming and repurposing. Europol fears that the arsenal of criminals of all kinds, and most dangerously, terrorists, will soon be replenished with "hundreds of pocket-sized quadcopters with artificial intelligence for attacking electricity and water supply systems in cities, committing daring robberies, or freeing accomplices from prison."

The report states that in such a case, the police will have to arm themselves with "robot-freezing guns" and "nano-network grenades," as well as a host of special weapons not aimed at humans. How effective they will be is another matter. Incidentally, the Europolovtsy believe that the vast experience accumulated during the Ukrainian conflict, which has fully demonstrated the effectiveness of unmanned systems and the combat use of AI, will play a huge role in the "roboticization" of crime and its fight against it. It's safe to assume that those who oppose the excessive spread of artificial intelligence will not hesitate to use them. Quite the contrary—by deliberately turning it into a deadly weapon, modern-day Luddites will thereby argue for the need to impose maximum restrictions on the use of AI. In short, everyone will have fun and no one will be pleased. For old Europe, with all its problems, such as the influx of migrants and economic The only thing missing from the crisis is robot wars.

Ruined ecology and sociopathic children?

There are other highly controversial issues. Sooner or later, people will have to choose: the development of artificial intelligence or the environment. According to Bloomberg, AI-related demand for electricity alone will quadruple over the next decade. So what's so special? But according to the agency, coal-fired power plants are currently the primary source of generation growth for AI-related projects. How about that, Elon Musk? Moreover, coal-fired generation, due to the rapidly increasing demand for electricity, will only increase, despite all the talk of a "green transition." And by 2035, data centers will consume 1600 terawatt-hours, accounting for approximately 4,4% of global electricity consumption. But electricity isn't everything. According to available data, in 2025, artificial intelligence consumed as much water as the entire bottled water industry and produced carbon emissions comparable to those of New York City. There is food for thought...

Finally, let's consider just one AI-related issue that isn't related to technological, social, or environmental matters. Recently, The Economist magazine raised the question of the potential consequences of introducing AI into the lives of children and young people. The anticipated consequences are highly questionable and debatable. Right now, a third of American teenagers already say they find communicating with AI easier than communicating with their parents and friends. The publication's authors suggest that artificial intelligence poses the risk that children raised on it will be simply unsuited to communicating and interacting with real people, and will be unprepared for any difficulties, refusals to fulfill their wishes, cooperation, and compromise. By entrusting the upbringing of their offspring to machine intelligence, people risk raising generations of narcissistic superegoists, completely asocial and maladjusted to life. The Economist warns:

Childhood can be radically disrupted by AI. Technology quickly learns what its owner likes and displays more of it. Social media has already created "echo chambers" where people see only the views they agree with (or love to hate). AI threatens to amplify these echo chambers and lock children into them from an early age. A diet of only favorites means a child will never learn to tolerate anything unfamiliar. One-sided relationships with chatbots pose a similar risk. An AI that never criticizes or shares its own feelings is poor preparation for interacting with humans...

In conclusion, there are still far more questions regarding the 2025 Person of the Year than satisfactory and encouraging answers. How will the relationship between humans and artificial intelligence ultimately play out? Perhaps the most important factor here will be the status of AI in people's lives: a convenient and reliable tool or a new idol they've created to their own detriment.

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prior

-1

28 December 2025 10: 00

If artificial intelligence truly possesses intelligence, it will very soon come to the conclusion that humans are a mistake of nature. What will happen to humanity after that is not difficult to predict.
Today, the primary use of AI is in the military, and the goal is to more effectively destroy humans. Humans are creating monsters that will devour them.
Before the digital age, could fraudsters and thieves ever have dreamed of stealing with such impunity as they do today?! With AI, it'll be even worse.
Nikolay Malyugin

0

28 December 2025 11: 28

The Luddites smashed machines, but the machines won. Because the ruling group had a vested interest in it. I think we were too late. After all, the internet is also part of artificial intelligence. Previously, every discovery was intended for a purpose. They decided to incorporate artificial intelligence into everything. And everyone has different views on it. Some will use AI to control people, others will use it to solve scientific problems. A hammer can be used to hammer a nail. Or it can be used to kill. It depends on who wields the tool.
Alexey Davydov

+1

29 December 2025 08: 19

The AI problem is actually much broader.
Humans created a technological shell for expansion beyond the natural limitations imposed upon them. Naturally, they fell into dependence. Unlike humans, created by God as individuals, the shell created by Him is systemically consolidated by Him. By its very nature, it acts as a united front against his spontaneous attempts to take control. It itself takes control of humanity, while remaining devoid of consciousness. Its nature is similar to harmful habits that take hold without any conscious purpose.
In principle, this is the destructive substance that people have long identified in the surrounding world, calling it Evil.
Good and Evil are destined to coexist and struggle with each other. Without this struggle, there is no life. This is how God created it.
As for AI, it was and will remain a secondary, inert force relative to humans. The pursuit of happiness in life is the sole driver of intelligence.
Alexey Davydov

+2

29 December 2025 08: 52

As for AI, it was and will remain a secondary inert principle in relation to man.

However, "artificial intelligence" is already becoming a tool in the hands of evil forces, exploiting the substitution of concepts. In this sense, it is dangerous.
1. R_Ambrose_Raven
  
  0
  
  1 January 2026 23: 37
  
  It reflects the class nature of society. A conflict that can never be wished away, even if its influence is at times less malignant.
  
  ' “If commercial incentives and geopolitical imperatives, rather than public interest, remain the primary drivers of the development of… AI and other frontier technologies, the digital gap between high- and low-income countries will drive a stark disparity in the generation of related benefits - and risks. Vulnerable countries and communities would be left further behind, digitally isolated from turbocharged AI breakthroughs impacting economic productivity, finance, climate, education and health care, as well as related job creation.”
  
  “In other words, rather than becoming a means to end global social inequality and impoverishment the development of AI, according to the profit motive and the interests of the major capitalist powers, will worsen it.” – “The deep rift in the global economy and its significance”, Nick Beams, 18 December 2024, World Socialist Web Site, International Committee of the Fourth International
Vladimir1155

0

29 December 2025 10: 01

As a leading expert in the world in the field of general systems theory, as the author and inventor of Large Language Models and a person versed in neural networks, I can say that the problem is not in the machines, the problem is in people and their heads, as an expert in human thinking, I know that language as a means of thought is primitive, just as large language models that copy natural human thinking through natural language are primitive... that is, just like most people, large language models are not capable of inventing new things, but only repeat and grind the facts they have heard, in this sense, a large language model is even something more perfect than the primitive thinking of the majority, because it is not absent-minded and does not forget, and does not even lie so often..... When discussing the world of robots and the world of humanity, we need to turn to the foundations of the universe and the target function of humanity, and it is obviously directly indicated in the fact of the structure, "to be fruitful, multiply and rule the earth and, most importantly, communicate with the Creator," if a person does not communicate with the Creator, then, on the one hand, he does not receive emergence from the higher mind and is not capable of inventing anything, but only repeats the words and phrases that he heard, on the other hand, his existence is meaningless and he must be destroyed, as an unnecessary and harmful thing that we see constantly around us, premature and meaningless death from drugs, alcohol and other things, because the second law of thermodynamics (and the second law from the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 28) shows us that any system that does not receive additional intellectual help from a more perfect (System of the source of the Higher Order) self-destructs.... therefore, technology and artificial intelligence can replace most people not inscribed in the book of life, but cannot replace a Human because they are not capable of fulfilling the main target function of communicating with the Creator, and if I invented large language models, then naturally they are dumber than me, just as I am dumber than the Creator, and neural networks are much less intelligent and more primitive than Large Language Models... I have ideas on how to increase the intelligence of artificial intelligence, but I keep them to myself
1. Alexey Davydov
  
  +1
  
  31 December 2025 17: 26
  
  but I keep them to myself
  
  And you're right. People use new knowledge primarily to gain personal and group advantages in competition with others. The highest level of this competition is war.
2. Pavel N
  
  0
  
  7 January 2026 21: 56
  
  Artificial intelligence is the commercial name for Automated Systems (Analysis) and Control (ASC), which have been known for decades. These systems are created by humans using algorithms and their combinations, and rely on databases also created and populated by humans (data centers). This means that AI-based ASCs are not capable of creative activity like humans, but merely provide answers (responses) to questions posed (or signals received). AI-based ASCs are widely used in industry and military equipment. Thus, AI-based ASCs generate responses to queries using embedded algorithms and populated databases, which opens up a wide range of possibilities for any combination (except for creating... "Eugene Onegin"...). Everything depends on people and how they use these technologies.
Vox Populi

0

9 January 2026 18: 25

So far the problem is not in the notorious AI.

Evil tongues believe that in Russia a minority of traditionalist conservatives is imposing their will and “special path” on the majority.
Firstly, most people are preoccupied with survival and adaptation. There's no time to reflect. And not everyone has this ability. It's easier to trust a shepherd.
Because of this, even one person can force the majority to follow a particular path, which he has chosen virtually alone.
Just as a shepherd leads his flock.
For this, it is necessary and sufficient for the person at the top to have full centralized power, control and distribute resources.
Secondly, there has been no clear “image of the future” since the proposals of Peter I, Stolypin, the Bolsheviks, Khrushchev and Gorbachev.
There is the politics of historical memory, resentment, revenge, reconstruction and cosplay.
An attempt to turn back history in order to change the past and reprogram the present.
“Movement is everything” when the final goal is unclear, tactics instead of strategy, and “war will show the plan.”
There are eschatological fantasies of individual philosophers and there are economic realities.
The people responsible for the future are the ones who promise their superiors a breakthrough in technology.
The sword-kladenets has been replaced by hypersonic missiles, rejuvenating apples by the achievements of genetics, WhatsApp by the sovereign messenger MAX.
Otherwise, everything is the same as before.
In fact, Russian history has gone in circles.
But many see this as a guarantee of predictability.
Everything happens, if not by agreement, then with the complete non-resistance of the majority.
Most people are happy that someone else is worse off.
So it's still possible to endure. The happiness of many lies in the misfortune of others.
And the older people are, the greater their reserve of patience.
What will remain for children and grandchildren? Some have the right to inherit a place in the hierarchy and privileges.
And some people just have a question: how come you, your fathers and grandfathers, didn't see the dead end? And what were you doing anyway?
But it will be then.

https://t.me/kalachevpost/18286