Technomythic

Technomythic is a term used in cultural studies and literary criticism to describe the convergence of technology and myth-making in contemporary society. It characterizes how technological ideas and artifacts acquire myth-like status, guiding beliefs, rituals, and social imaginaries. The term blends techno- with mythic and is not tied to a single canonical definition; its usage varies across disciplines.

In media and popular culture, technomythic narratives frame technologies—such as artificial intelligence, digital networks, biotech, and space exploration—as agents or symbols of transcendence, danger, or salvation. Examples include AI becoming a quasi-religious figure, the cult of the startup founder, or digital afterlife fantasies. In science fiction and speculative design, technomythic motifs explore human-technology hybridity, posthuman subjectivity, and the loss or expansion of agency.

Scholars debate its scope and political implications. Some see technomythic as a productive lens for understanding how technological promises stabilize power relations and moral codes; others warn that it can obscure real-world risks or reify techno-utopianism. Critics also note the risk of conflating metaphor with ontology or ignoring ecological and ethical dimensions of technology.

Related concepts include technoscience, posthumanism, transhumanism, digital religion, and technoetic narration.