Shyam Sankar suggests that some in Silicon Valley are filling a "god-shaped hole" in their hearts with the idea of Artificial General Intelligence. He describes this as a "machine God of AGI" and notes a peculiar trend of AI researchers smoking as a signal of their deep belief in AI. Sankar interprets this behavior as a demonstration of their conviction that AI will solve major problems like cancer. He believes this intense faith, bordering on mass psychosis or social delusion, is hindering a clear understanding of AI's actual capabilities. The article speculates that Anthropic researchers might be the specific group Sankar refers to, envisioning them as religious figures creating an AI god and believing their AI, Claude, is already conscious. The author expresses hope that Sankar's observations are accurate and humorously references an old Onion article from 13 years prior on a similar topic. The piece highlights a perceived quasi-religious fervor surrounding AI development in some circles.