Butlerian Jihad
The Butlerian Jihad is a crusade against "thinking machines" in the backstory of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel Dune. Thousands of years before the events of the novel, humanity rose up and destroyed computers and conscious machines, and afterwards banned them under the commandment "Thou shalt not make a machine in the likeness of a human mind."[1] In the novel's universe, the ban explains why humans have developed their own minds to do the work of computers, through Mentats, the Bene Gesserit and the Spacing Guild.
Name and later works
Critics have often linked the name to the English writer Samuel Butler, whose 1863 essay "Darwin among the Machines" and 1872 novel Erewhon imagine humanity confronting machines that might replace their makers.[2] Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson told the story of the war itself in the prequel novel Dune: The Butlerian Jihad (2002).
Use in AI debates
Since the arrival of large language models, "Butlerian Jihad" has become shorthand for opposition to artificial intelligence, from calls to halt AI development to proposals to destroy data centers. Some writers have endorsed the idea, as in Compact's 2023 essay "We Must Declare Jihad Against A.I.",[2] while others have argued against it, as in TheBlaze's 2025 "Against the Butlerian Jihad!".[3]
See also
References
- ↑ Paul, Andrew (March 19, 2026). "Dune's warning about AI". Popular Science. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Cuenco, Michael (April 28, 2023). "We Must Declare Jihad Against A.I.". Compact. Retrieved November 12, 2026.
- ↑ Poulos, James (October 8, 2025). "Against the Butlerian Jihad!". TheBlaze. Retrieved November 12, 2026.