[version_five]

He was inspired by lesswrong which from my scan more mysticism and philosophy (with a handful of self importance) than anything about how computers work. Advanced technology is magic to laypeople. It's like how some people believe in homeopathy. If you don't understand how medicine works, it's just a different kind of magic.

[haltist]

I guess that might be tied up with human biology, the need to attribute agency to inanimate objects. That one is a worthwhile puzzle to figure out but most people seem more mesmerized by blinking lights and shiny gadgets than any real philosophical problems.

[astrange]

Lesswrong is basically a new online religion where you worship by acting like you're a STEM expert, which is part of why they have so many strong assumptions about how AI must work all based on untrue ideas about how it actually works.