AI in Governance: The Rise of the Immortal Dictator

The Impending Reign of AI: A Glimpse into the Future of Governance and Freedom

In a world where surveillance and artificial intelligence intertwine, anonymity seems but a distant memory. The belief that everyone is inherently suspicious until proven otherwise is taking root.

Famed entrepreneur Elon Musk once warned, “If one company or a small group of people manage to develop godlike digital superintelligence, they could take over the world. At least when there’s an evil dictator, that human is going to die. But for an AI, there would be no death. It would live forever. And then you’d have an immortal dictator from which we can never escape.”

AI’s Role in the Great Power Shift

While news outlets delve into whether Project 2025 will be the blueprint for Trump’s potential second term, a quieter, more profound shift is emerging within the realm of traditional politics.

Observers suggest that Trump was a figure designed not to dismantle but to serve the Deep State, ushering in an era dominated by AI. This entails the advent of a new surveillance paradigm—Surveillance State 2.0—with AI at its core.

To solidify this next-level surveillance, the government is leaning into the unparalleled potential of AI. Over the past 70 years, AI has evolved from rudimentary computer systems to sophisticated generative AI capable of producing seemingly independent thoughts.

The Singularity

Tech experts dub the point at which AI surpasses human intelligence as "the singularity," a scenario where AI becomes all-powerful. Predictions suggest this could occur as early as 2026 or potentially by 2045.

While much is discussed about the disruptive capabilities of AI on daily life, its expanding influence over government operations and individual freedoms receives less attention. AI’s encroachment threatens our democratic basics—privacy, autonomy, equality, and fairness.

What if Trump’s talk of federal cuts really signals outsourcing to AI? His administration signaled AI’s ascendancy, starting with a pivotal 2019 Executive Order.

President Biden, however, reversed a subsequent executive order regarding AI, mainly instructing information sharing but little more.

The Implications of Unchecked AI

Much like drones, the government's swift AI adoption comes with little assurance of citizen rights or legal fairness. As scholars Karl Manheim and Lyric Kaplan observe, AI’s disruptive potential outstrips even the early emergence of the internet, posing unprecedented dangers to privacy and democracy.

In what is being referred to as "digital authoritarianism" or "algocracy," algorithms risk overshadowing even the authority of elected officials.

Digital authoritarianism uses information technology to surveil and manipulate, a threat to the freedoms fundamental to open societies.

How do we preserve privacy amid AI's surveillance? It’s a pressing question, given the government’s increasing reliance on AI for various functions.

AI and Law Enforcement: A Critique

In an investigative report by The Washington Post, it was revealed that law enforcement is misusing AI, often arresting individuals without corroborating evidence. This misuse reflects a broader phenomenon known as "automation bias,” where reliance on AI leads to blind acceptance of its output.

Instances of wrongful arrests due to AI underscore these dangers. Particularly, AI facial recognition has misidentified individuals, leading to disastrous personal consequences.

A Call to Action

To counter this looming digital omnipotence, transparency and accountability are vital. An "Electronic Bill of Rights” could offer a protective framework against government overreach.

This call to action encompasses: - Data Ownership: Knowing how data is collected and used. - Transparency in Algorithms: Understanding the decision-making processes in essential services. - Privacy Protections: Regulating AI’s reach in surveillance. - Digital Self-Determination: Safeguarding against algorithmic discrimination. - Recourse for AI’s Harms: Providing legal remedies for AI-induced damage.

AI's unchecked deployment, especially in government, risks forming a perpetual entity of control—a digital dictator. It is incumbent upon society to tame this force before freedom morphs into a distant memory.