AI's Authoritarian Temptation: Safeguarding Democracy
Every generation encounters transformative technologies that, while promising efficiency and progress, inherently possess the capacity to enhance tools of repression. For our current era, artificial intelligence stands as this pivotal technology. Its capabilities are vast: it can predict patterns, persuade individuals at scale, and facilitate mass surveillance and policing. Yet, AI also holds immense potential to broaden participation in democratic processes, expose corruption, and empower citizens with new oversight capabilities, thereby strengthening accountability. The trajectory of AI—whether it ultimately steers the world toward greater freedom or intensifies fear—depends less on the inherent nature of "the algorithms" themselves and more on the institutional frameworks in place, the incentives that drive its development and deployment, and the political choices made by leaders and societies. This lab note delves into the intricate, bidirectional relationship between AI ...