For many experts, it’s difficult to envision how AI could be beneficial to democracy — and much easier to imagine how it could be harmful. Advanced AI can easily be misused to spread disinformation through deepfake videos or increase the sophistication of illegal influence campaigns in a way that could undermine confidence in elections and increase polarization. We also know that democracies become unstable and even fall when economies are weak. If AI takes as many jobs as some experts predict — without any sort of government response — then AI could lead to the end of democracy as we know it.
By the way, the inverse question is important too: Is democracy good for AI? If AI creates massive job displacement, there may be a huge backlash. Voters may reward politicians who limit or punish AI for taking jobs. That’s why those building AI would be wise to think about its impact on the lives of average citizens.
The above excerpt was originally published in NOTUS.
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