Societal impact of mega AI, and consolidation of power

Interesting work and commentary on the impact of AI on society:
https://ainowinstitute.org/publications/research/executive-summary-artificial-power

A quote from their executive summary: "Those of us broadly engaged in 
challenging corporate consolidation, economic injustice, tech oligarchy, 
and rising authoritarianism need to contend with the AI industry or we 
will lose the end game. Accepting the current trajectory of AI 
proselytized by Big Tech and its stenographers as “inevitable” is 
setting us up on a path to an unenviable economic and political future—a 
future that disenfranchises large sections of the public, renders 
systems more obscure to those it affects, devalues our crafts, 
undermines our security, and narrows our horizon for innovation."

Any new technology brings a complex combination of positive and negative 
impacts, and those with a vested interest in that technology inevitably 
promote the positives while minimizing the negatives.  I share the 
authors' net concerns about the increasing consolidation of power that 
the latest breed of mega AI brings.

There is something particularly pernicious about the intersection of 
unfettered capitalism, authoritarianism and big AI, which will 
inevitably be used to further accelerate developments that are 
increasingly harmful to society and our fragile planet.

I am wondering what we can do, to help prevent these downsides.

Thanks,
David Booth

Received on Tuesday, 5 August 2025 17:13:38 UTC