Comment by keeda

I've said it before, but I always thought the Butlerian Jihad was the biggest plot hole in Dune, because a superintelligent AI would have precluded a lot of the dynamics in the stories, such as the need for a Space Guild, yet the background is never explained.

However, I deeply appreciate the rich world and captivating narrative it enabled, and I think this is what Frank Herbert was going for. He wanted the intricate dynamics of the Guild and Spice and Mentats and exciting close-quarter combat for a more intriguing narrative. But AI and robots would have obviated all of those, so he made it disappear with a handwave of "because Butlerian Jihad."