AI and Political Freedom

How AI may threaten our democratic institutions and enable autocracy—and how to guard against this

American democracy is under pressure, as institutions that we once thought stable suddenly seem precarious. At the same time, artificial intelligence has taken over much of our online life, with enormous offline consequences. In AI and Political Freedom, Matthew Botvinick examines the interaction of AI and democracy, exploring how AI is likely to challenge democracy as we move further into the twenty-first century. Botvinick—an expert on both democratic theory and AI technology—finds that the prognosis is serious. AI is poised to destabilize our democratic institutions—to attack them at their most vulnerable points and provide a useful tool for leaders with authoritarian aspirations. Yet despite the potential threat posed by the collision of AI and democracy, Botvinick argues that there are ways that we can safeguard our political freedom.

Botvinick points out that concern about our democratic backsliding emerged just as public attention turned to AI safety. Worries over the proliferation of deepfakes and AI-generated misinformation as well as the expanding political power of technology companies circulated widely—but were seldom connected to concern over the decay of democratic institutions. Botvinick makes this connection, considering AI’s potential effects on our politics. Mass unemployment caused by technological advances creates a receptiveness to authoritarian appeals; security crises could enable governments to abuse emergency powers; and the use of AI in intelligence work creates the risk of politicized surveillance. To stop the retreat from democratic values, Botvinick argues, we must reinforce our democratic institutions and, ultimately, reimagine how democracy works, building richer and more engaging forms of citizen participation.