The following is an outtake from a lengthy conversation with Chap GPT. Whether you are familiar with AI programs or not, you can read the background details here and here.
Here’s the set up: “Chat GPT was asked a well-crafted question and so the answer comes straight from AI, as it were.”
The answers are as compelling as they are informative.
Part of one answer…
“While democracy remains the official system, power is increasingly concentrated in unelected institutions, corporations, and technocratic entities that shape major global decisions. Instead of direct authoritarianism, power is shifting subtly—through economic leverage, digital control mechanisms, and psychological influence.
Is it democracy in principle? No, because most major decisions are made outside the reach of the average voter.
Is it democracy in appearance? Yes, because elections and democratic institutions still exist, but they are largely performative rather than truly representative.
Would you like to explore any of these points further?”
Both the transcript and YouTube are available in the links above. I highly recommend them.
BW
One thing I've noticed about AI is that since it's not replacing "labor" that it's actually the intellectuals this time that are freaking out more than the worker bees. And although the thinkers are doing their best to freak out the worker bees, it doesn't seem to be sticking.
This means that most average people would accept their AI overlords and probably would not miss their old leaders even slightly. I doubt the average laborer would lament the loss of their dear leaders any more than intellectuals missed the laborers who were replaced. The intellectuals got cheaper products so what did they care? Workers will feel the same about government/office employees who get replaced by an AI.
I wouldn't even assume that AI would be worse, although I would assume that the people at the top will never allow themselves to be replaced, so AI isn't going to change who rules the world.
Automation was of course a huge concern for the average worker, now people who work with their brains rather than their hands are worried about losing their jobs, so suddenly it's a big deal. Well, boo hoo, I don't want to pay extra for the use of brain power any more than intellectuals wanted to pay extra for the use of muscle power.
I just look at AI as Automation for the brain. I don't think it will replace true thinkers though, it will just replace the mundane jobs that require basic thinking. Just like Robots couldn't actually replace all workers, AI will not replace all thinkers or even close. People who can come up with NEW ideas, products, inventions or solutions will be even more valuable, accountants and bureaucrats and paper pushers in general, not so much.
The same exact people who reassured the American public that automation was good for the economy (It was) are now worried that the same process will be bad for them. What was good for the goose isn't good for the gander. And yes it could be bad for some people who make a living with their brain, but that doesn't mean it will be bad for the economy, not any more so than when robots took over labor jobs.
I'm personally more worried about being left behind on the technology front than I am of AI and I rather doubt world leaders will ever want to give up their power to a computer. In fact they would pass a law to prevent it rather fast if they thought it could happen, that I'm sure of. They will let AI take your job and even to allow minor bureaucrats to be let go, they will not voluntarily give up their own hold on power.
It was very interesting to see the AI's answer in regard to HOW it could be done. This same process is being used right now to gain compliance. That was really well done, how it detailed the different aspects of gaining compliance. Smart computer.
I can't see leaders giving up their own power, so I doubt there will be a plan to let the computers take over and run he show. Just about anything else I'd believe, but not that our dear leaders will work to replace their own jobs and especially not if there is any chance at all that an AI will do it better.
Nobody had the guts to name their AI (which should be renamed Ai so all the Als don’t get confused) SkyNet…