What can he possibly be basing this on? Sounds like a faith to me. They are trying to manufacture a god for the rest
You're right to notice a connection to theism here, though. It sounds nuts to see but I actually see some distant parallels between Land and Omohundro's ideas and, like, old gnostic traditions, or the early 20th century process philosophy of Charles Hartshorne.
"Intelligence is escape, with a tendency to do its own thing. That's what runaway means, as a virtual mind template. Omohundro explains the basics." [0]
"Intelligence optimization, comprehensively understood, is the ultimate and all-enveloping Omohundro drive." [1]