Artificial intelligence-a myth of the 21st century?

The present article attempts to analyze the boom of artificial intelligence (AI) by looking for archetypical thought-patterns and scrutinizing the underlying myths, e.g. the myth of "thinking machines" or the myth of "digital natives vs. digital immigrants". Special attention is paid to the myth of "singularity", i.e. to the idea that in not too far a future AI will be by far surpassing human intelligence in every single respect. It is argued that the specific mythological ring to this idea is due to the fact that it utilizes the Christian religious language of eschatology: The promise "The singularity is near" echoes the eschatological "the end of the world and thus the coming of God's kingdom is near" formula. A critical analysis of the very concept of singularity shows that if singularity, i.e. "an intelligence greater than ours", should indeed one day be accomplished, we as human beings equipped with human intelligence only, would not even be capable of noticing; and if that is the case it would not even make a difference to us. To understand this does not, however, imply the license to underestimate its significance; that we will by definition not be able to recognize singularity does not release us from the obligation to philosophically better understand the impact of AI on us.