Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma has sparked a fresh wave of online discussion with a lengthy social media post predicting that artificial intelligence will eventually replace organised religion once it evolves into AGI and ASI. The outspoken director argued that AI’s omnipresence and predictive power would leave humanity with little room for scepticism, unlike traditional belief systems.
Ram Gopal Varma’s ‘AI will be the new religion’ post
Known for his unfiltered opinions on social media, Ram Gopal Varma has once again stirred conversation online, this time with a detailed post arguing that artificial intelligence is on track to become humanity’s next religion. Taking to X (formerly Twitter), the filmmaker argued that as AI progresses toward Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI), it will function as a far more absolute and demonstrable force than any existing belief system, reaching people through every screen, every device, every communication mode and every decision system that keeps civilization moving.
RGV compares AI’s rise to the decline of religious authority through history
In his post, Varma drew parallels to earlier moments in history when emerging technologies and knowledge systems chipped away at the authority of organised religion, citing the arrival of the printing press, the rise of modern science, and the advent of nuclear weapons as prior turning points. He argued that AGI and ASI would mark a more decisive shift, since it would be the first time an intelligence measurably superior to humans becomes practically usable at scale. According to Varma, the resulting dynamic would eventually shift the central question people face from belief in a higher power to acceptance of the outputs of a superior intelligence.
Filmmaker says doubting AI won’t be a choice like religious scepticism
A key part of Varma’s argument centred on how AI-driven authority would differ from religious authority. Unlike traditional religion, where scepticism or disbelief can coexist with a functioning life, Varma suggested that stepping away from systems increasingly run by advanced AI would not be a viable option for individuals or society. He framed continued relevance in an ASI-driven future as being tied to alignment with the systems shaping what is knowable and achievable, rather than faith or belief.
Ram Gopal Varma on the work front
Filmmaker Ram Gopal Varma is set to make his grand comeback to Hindi cinema with the horror-comedy ‘Police Station Mein Bhoot’, marking his long-awaited creative reunion with Manoj Bajpayee nearly three decades after their seminal cult classic Satya. The film centers on a chaotic, haunted precinct where the ghost of a dreaded encounter-killed gangster returns to torment the terrified police force. Co-starring Genelia Deshmukh alongside veteran actor Ramya Krishnan, who has joined RGV for the first time in her career sporting a striking gothic avatar, the project blends cutting-edge VFX with spine-chilling scares and dark humor.According to Bollywood Hungama, the filmmaker will also return to his signature gritty crime genre with his upcoming directorial feature,’ Police Company’, starring Harshvardhan Rane in the lead role. Inspired by the turbulent real-life events of legendary Mumbai encounter specialist Daya Nayak, the film explores the morally complex world of police informants, underworld nexus, and the rise and fall of law enforcement officers within the city’s crime branch.
