Übersheep and Orthogonal Things | Interview: Luke Burgis

Luke Burgis argues that modern society is drowning in 'social contagion'—invisible, involuntary forces that dissolve individual identity into group conformity, making people feel like they're thinking freely while actually absorbing beliefs passively through algorithms and cultural pressure. Drawing on René Girard's mimetic desire and Robert Nisbet's 'Quest for Community,' Burgis warns that the loss of rites of passage and differentiated selves has left people emotionally and spiritually fragile. The real danger isn't overt coercion, but the seductive illusion of autonomy: we think we're choosing our tribes, but we're just being shaped by systems that reward conformity. The solution? Institutions—especially the Church—that foster a 'solid self' through disciplined, one-on-one relationships, not tribal belonging. Burgis sees the Pope’s recent AI encyclical as a crucial intervention, reminding us that human dignity isn't reducible to data or energy inputs. In a world where AI can mimic human conversation, he calls for a legal mandate: any AI must truthfully disclose its non-human status.