• Home
  • Latest
  • Fortune 500
  • Finance
  • Tech
  • Leadership
  • Lifestyle
  • Rankings
  • Multimedia
Tech

The Self-Driving Car Engineer Uber Fired After Google Sued Worships AI—Literally

Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
Robert Hackett
By
Robert Hackett
Robert Hackett
Down Arrow Button Icon
September 28, 2017, 5:01 PM ET

Anthony Levandowski, for one, welcomes our new computer overlords.

The self-driving car engineer whom Uber fired in May amid a lawsuit brought by Levandowski’s former employer, the autonomous vehicle unit of Google’s parent company, has styled himself as the leader of a new religious organization. The church is called “Way of the Future.”

Levandowski serves as president and CEO of the nonprofit entity, according to California state filings unearthed by Wired for a recent article. The ex-Uber VP founded the organization in September 2015, although it has not yet applied with the IRS for tax exempt status.

The church’s aim? According to the legal documents, it’s to “develop and promote the realization of a Godhead based on Artificial Intelligence and through understanding and worship of the Godhead contribute to the betterment of society.” You read that right.

Levandowski, the multimillionaire entrepreneur and robotics researcher at the center of a heated legal dispute between two tech titans, established a church for techno-futurists.

Not much is known about the organization, other than that it appears to espouse a worldview embraced by many science-minded dreamers in Silicon Valley. These are acolytes of the so-called singularity—the theoretical point at which machines surpass humans in intelligence.

Waymo, the self-driving car unit of Google’s parent Alphabet, has accused Levandowski stealing trade secrets and intellectual property and bringing them to its ride-hailing rival, an allegation that could, depending on how the proceedings shake out, yield criminal charges. Uber, which faces billions of dollars in liability if it is found guilty, has denied any wrongdoing.

Get Data Sheet, Fortune’s technology newsletter

Despite having lost his job for failing to fully cooperate with Uber’s internal investigation, Levandowski has apparently not lost his faith.

About the Author
Robert Hackett
By Robert Hackett
Instagram iconLinkedIn iconTwitter icon
See full bioRight Arrow Button Icon

Latest in Tech

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025

Most Popular

Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Finance
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit, sed do eiusmod tempor incididunt ut labore et dolore magna aliqua. Ut enim ad minim veniam
By Fortune Editors
October 20, 2025
Rankings
  • 100 Best Companies
  • Fortune 500
  • Global 500
  • Fortune 500 Europe
  • Most Powerful Women
  • Future 50
  • World’s Most Admired Companies
  • See All Rankings
Sections
  • Finance
  • Leadership
  • Success
  • Tech
  • Asia
  • Europe
  • Environment
  • Fortune Crypto
  • Health
  • Retail
  • Lifestyle
  • Politics
  • Newsletters
  • Magazine
  • Features
  • Commentary
  • Mpw
  • CEO Initiative
  • Conferences
  • Personal Finance
  • Education
Customer Support
  • Frequently Asked Questions
  • Customer Service Portal
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms Of Use
  • Single Issues For Purchase
  • International Print
Commercial Services
  • Advertising
  • Fortune Brand Studio
  • Fortune Analytics
  • Fortune Conferences
  • Business Development
About Us
  • About Us
  • Editorial Calendar
  • Press Center
  • Work At Fortune
  • Diversity And Inclusion
  • Terms And Conditions
  • Site Map

Latest in Tech

AsiaChina
What global executives need to ask about China in 2026
By Joe Ngai and Jeongmin SeongJanuary 11, 2026
11 hours ago
A smartphone displaying the app icon for Anthropic AI chatbot Claude displayed against a backdrop that also says "Claude."
AIAnthropic
Anthropic unveils Claude for Healthcare, expands life science features, and partners with HealthEx to let users connect medical records
By Jeremy KahnJanuary 11, 2026
12 hours ago
Investingtech stocks
Magnificent 7’s stock market dominance shows signs of cracking
By Jeran Wittenstein, Ryan Vlastelica and BloombergJanuary 11, 2026
12 hours ago
Eric Vaughan
AILayoffs
This CEO laid off nearly 80% of his staff because they refused to adopt AI fast enough. 2 years later, he says he’d do it again
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 11, 2026
15 hours ago
Elon Musk, wearing a suit, puts his knuckles together and looks upward.
TechElon Musk
Elon Musk asked people to upload their medical data to X so his AI company could learn to interpret MRIs and CT scans
By Sasha RogelbergJanuary 11, 2026
15 hours ago
RetailRetail
Walmart teams with Alphabet for AI-assisted shopping on Gemini
By Jaewon Kang and BloombergJanuary 11, 2026
18 hours ago

Most Popular

placeholder alt text
Economy
Trump may be raising your taxes with his tariffs but he could actually cut inflation with them, too, SF Fed says
By Jake AngeloJanuary 6, 2026
6 days ago
placeholder alt text
AI
This CEO laid off nearly 80% of his staff because they refused to adopt AI fast enough. 2 years later, he says he'd do it again
By Nick LichtenbergJanuary 11, 2026
15 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
A Supreme Court ruling that strikes down Trump's tariffs would be the fastest way to revive the stalling job market, top economist says
By Jason MaJanuary 11, 2026
13 hours ago
placeholder alt text
Economy
As U.S. debt soars past $38 trillion, the flood of corporate bonds is a growing threat to the Treasury supply
By Jason MaJanuary 10, 2026
2 days ago
placeholder alt text
Success
Gen Z are arriving to college unable to even read a sentence—professors warn it could lead to a generation of anxious and lonely graduates
By Preston ForeJanuary 9, 2026
3 days ago
placeholder alt text
Health
Bill Gates warns the world is going 'backwards' and gives 5-year deadline before we enter a new Dark Age
By Eleanor PringleJanuary 9, 2026
3 days ago

© 2025 Fortune Media IP Limited. All Rights Reserved. Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy | CA Notice at Collection and Privacy Notice | Do Not Sell/Share My Personal Information
FORTUNE is a trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, registered in the U.S. and other countries. FORTUNE may receive compensation for some links to products and services on this website. Offers may be subject to change without notice.