If Not a Religion, Then What? Potential State Responses to the Conundrum of Artificial Intelligence as Religion

In 2017, Anthony Levandowski’s Way of the Future (WOTF) became the first AI-based church registered under U.S. law. Although officially dissolved in 2021, WOTF has recently regained attention due to rapid advances in generative AI and accessibility of LLMs. Its legacy and potential revival raise critical questions regarding the legal definition of religion and protections under FoRB. Amid rising panic surrounding AI in general and vis-à-vis religion in particular the paper argues that AI-based religions are likely to face challenges to recognition and/or registration, through already established avenues. More particularly, the paper examines three illustrative examples and their potential implications on AI-based religions: classification as parody or satire, as in the case of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster; classification as a fraudulent or sham religion, exampled by the Church of Scientology; and facing restrictions on public order grounds, drawing on cult-related and extremism legislation primarily used against NRMs.