The Qiraji and the Ascended

Of the various derivatives of the aqir, I've always been a little fascinated by the mystery of the Qiraji and their numerous near-human varieties. In the past, I had theorized that the qiraji developed more humanoid forms than their brethren as a result of tampering with the same machines that let them control the anubisath and tol'vir constructs--maybe as an attempt to weaponize the Curse of Flesh. But the Ascended of Ahn-Kahet raise a new possibility. Was Cthun pushing the qiraji to a similar state as Xalatath's Ascended? Are these evolutions possibly related, or am I just imagining things?