'Artificial states' could emerge as AI gains power, scientist warns
Historian says tech elites are imposing AI on society (photo: Google DeepMind)
Harvard historian Jill Lepore warns that an "artificial state" is taking shape, in which AI algorithms are gradually replacing democratic institutions and human autonomy, according to an episode of The New York Times' Hard Fork podcast featuring the researcher.
The historian envisions a new world order in which society is governed not by citizens' consent but by machines owned by private corporations.
Rise of an 'artificial state' and loss of autonomy
Lepore says the replacement of government functions by corporations is already taking place on a global scale.
Digital technologies and social media are becoming the main intermediaries controlling the creation of news, election information, and political opinion.
The researcher highlights the following consequences:
Social isolation: The digital space is eroding traditional human communities, leading to alienation and the fragmentation of public life.
Replacement of institutions: Instead of talking to neighbors, experts, or government officials, people are increasingly asking AI whom to vote for.
Disregard for public opinion: The push to expand artificial intelligence is underway without regard for what people actually want, even as many oppose building new data centers.
Debunking Silicon Valley myths
The professor emphasizes that tech elites are deliberately promoting the myth of AI's inevitability and claiming that any regulation harms innovation.
Lepore considers this a flawed premise.
She says such promises that technology would automatically strengthen democracy were made when personal computers, the internet and social media emerged, but in practice, they created new threats and increased surveillance of citizens.
The researcher will explore the topic in greater depth in her forthcoming book, "The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State," which she is currently working on.
