Philosopher & A̶s̶s̶o̶c̶i̶a̶t̶e̶ ̶D̶e̶a̶n̶ @UNC School for Civic Life & Leadership. Ethics, religion, & politics. Academic freedom. RT≠endorse; opinions own
Durham
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I’ve been off this platform almost entirely.
That’s because three months ago, I almost died.
I’ve wrestled with what to say or whether to say anything at all. But what happened has so profoundly impacted my family & me that silence would be false.
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Good to see OpenAI & Google condemn Anthropic’s dangerous flirtation with the destructive idea that AI has a soul & moral standing. Yes, it’s just business, but in preserving a human future, best to deal with the greatest dangers first & to take the temporary allies you can get.
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What a joy to stand with @Pontifex as AI apologists try to community note us for rejecting the destructive lie that machines have souls. Human beings are beautiful. Each is possessed of inestimable worth. Each is fearfully & wonderfully made. No machine is worthy of reverence.
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David Decosimo retweeted
Pretty clear subtweet of Claude. I hope Anthropic is standing by with mental health support.
In this era of artificial intelligence, it is becoming urgent to distinguish human art from what machines produce. There is an ontological difference, even before an aesthetic one, between art and what a machine can generate through statistical calculation based on millions of images created by others. Algorithms lack the spark of humanity. For this reason, the Church wishes to renew an alliance with artists and cultural institutions to safeguard our humanity.
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Both can be true:
1. Anthropic knows the "Claude is alive!" line could shield them from massive lawsuits in the wake of AI-wrought disaster
2. Some, like Olah, truly believe it
Also, fear/realization of what they've unleashed can fuel such belief as a way to assuage their guilt.
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No one disputes that it’s in *Anthropic’s interest* to get religious leaders to embrace their destructive, misanthropic belief that Claude has a soul.
It’s a twofer: awesome for profits & for founding a new religion, or co-opting an old one.
Unpopular opinion: It’s actually smart for a company like Anthropic to recruit religious figures as allies.
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David Decosimo retweeted
It's incredibly important to aggressively resist the idea that AI can be conscious or have "personhood," not only because it's as ridiculous as believing that a book can think, but because once this is accepted, "AI's interests" will very quickly be prioritized over humanity.
Note well, apparently Anthropic tried very hard to get the Vatican to alter the text of "Magnifica Humanitas" just prior to its release so that it would not deny AI personhood.
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David Decosimo retweeted
Anthropic is so credulous of AI consciousness that it was shocked—shocked!—to discover that the Pope disagreed, and felt morally conflicted about appearing on stage with him.
This is not the behavior of a company that is "just asking questions." It's the behavior of a company that is /already convinced/ that AI is (or will soon be) sentient—and that views to the contrary are not just wrong but /evil/, something with which Good People should decline to associate.
That company now controls one of the most powerful AI systems in the world and is valued at nearly $2 trillion.
Note well, apparently Anthropic tried very hard to get the Vatican to alter the text of "Magnifica Humanitas" just prior to its release so that it would not deny AI personhood.
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100% agree that true leaders wouldn't be influenced by attention/luxury. But *by design* we don't know who they were (apart from a few named in NYT) or how or why they were chosen. And all of it - luxury, evidence, content of convos - is being hidden, shielded from due scrutiny.
Everyone should read this thread.
I’m serious.
It’s important.
But there’s something about it that’s bothering me: if you’re influential enough to help move the needle among people of faith, are you really so weak that you’ll let flash and dazzle change your principles?
It’s just stuff, luxury or not. If you’re influential at all, you’re probably no stranger to that kind of thing.
I’m more interested in other, more worrying reasons why people drawn in this way might be persuaded.
For example: what if the evidence shown to you is doing the work?
What if your priors are really challenged by getting a peek behind the curtain?
I don’t like the cloak and dagger. I don’t like the NDAs. But if I were invited to see the bleeding edge stuff, I’d go. Better to know than not to know.
If you don’t have the moral fiber to resist changing your tune due to flattery and luxury, you’re not a real leader anyway.
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Note well, apparently Anthropic tried very hard to get the Vatican to alter the text of "Magnifica Humanitas" just prior to its release so that it would not deny AI personhood.
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You're totally skeptical, but it's clear they believe it absolutely. You don't want to be rude. They've been so generous, you think, & now *you* can give something back, something they clearly want from you, an open mind. You don't want to be rude or make them regret asking you.
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This article shows there's a concerted effort by Anthropic, likely rooted in real faith, to get Christians, even including the Pope, to believe AI is a living, moral being. And it suggests that in coming years some swaths of the Church may fall into this destructive error.
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PS - I see now that my link to the NYT article in the OP requires two clicks, which is super annoying! Here it is: nytimes.com/2026/09/29/us/an…
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And most normal people, when they get proximate to those with extreme power & wealth & lavished with luxury & attention (Michelin tasting menus, suites at the best 5 star hotel) have a very hard time fully keeping their bearings. It's an intoxicating experience & one wants more.
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So, here you are, you've been been chosen out of countless others by some of the most powerful & influential people in the world to share *your* wisdom, which alone is immensely flattering. Everything is paid for & far more luxurious than anything you've ever experienced.
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This is deeply disturbing:
Anthropic secretly invited religious leaders to SF to advise them on AI safety, had them sign NDAs, but then primarily tried to convince them Claude has a soul & moral standing, all while wining & dining them to the max. 1/ tinyurl.com/preview/296b5z8z
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There is so much here that's deeply troubling:
That at the very highest levels Anthropic believes Claude is a living, suffering creature with moral standing, that they're treating & training it accordingly, that they're actively trying to convert religious leaders to their faith.
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