Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy

Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy
Vicar Sayeedi
August 17, 2021

As the world watched the horrific series of events unfold in Afghanistan these past few weeks – scenes of terrified men, women and children fleeing the threat of what they have previously experienced to be a brutal medieval regime – a twenty-year experiment to germinate liberal democracy in a Central Asian nation has collapsed before our very eyes. It’s an extraordinary episode of failure and recriminations which will continue for some time, but it is not an unexpected outcome given that democracy, unlike authoritarianism, requires certain conditions to be met before it has even a remote chance of success, let alone of blossoming into a sustainable polity.

In fact, democracy is unlikely to take root in any society which lacks these basic preconditions. Most critically, these conditions include a high level of literacy across society [thus enabling the ability to think critically] as well as an awareness of issues. Virtually all societies today have access to information and ideas due to the ubiquity of the Internet, thus awareness is not a serious problem for those who wish to be well-informed [although in some authoritarian societies including China, India, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, it can still be quite difficult to obtain objective information], but critical thinking remains a serious impediment, primarily as a result of low levels of education and literacy rates across large portions of the population in the Developing World. As a result, the citizens of these communities remain indoctrinated in ancient dogma and such cultures are simply unfit to nurture a sustainable democracy. Perhaps this is the most important lesson of the West’s failed experiment in the ‘Graveyard of Empires’ that is Afghanistan.

Surprisingly, education levels in Developed Economies seem to have plateaued, as well. In the United States today, only one in three Americans holds a university degree. We might be quick to conclude that the problem is due to the prohibitively high cost of both public and private education in America, but the penetration of university degrees in Western Europe is about the same as that in America despite policies prevalent in most advanced European states that cover the education expenses for students right through very advanced levels. Thus, we must conclude that there is a natural level to which we can expect education to penetrate a society, and this will inevitably limit that society’s ability to think critically.

As society, and the issues facing it, increase in complexity with each passing year [consider, for example, Climate Change and Ecological Collapse, the rise of sophisticated 4th Industrial Revolution technologies including Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Biotechnology, Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies, Computing (Quantum/Super), Data Science, and the many issues these malignant technologies enable (Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, State Surveillance of the society, Surveillance Capitalism and Human-Machine Interfaces)] this natural limit of education and of critical thinking is proving highly problematic.

In the 20th century, a university degree probably prepared most in society for not only a decent standard of living in the modern economy, but it also enabled them to reasonably grasp the issues of the day. The university degree prepared them to effectively engage in a participatory democracy. This is no longer the case, and it may be an important reason why citizens in many Western democracies are increasingly expressing ambivalence towards democracy and its economic sibling, free market capitalism. Today, 70% of Americans – with similar percentages in other leading Western democracies – believe that democracy and capitalism no longer serve society’s interests. This is a very dangerous development, perhaps even an existential threat to America’s stability, particularly as the levels of income and wealth inequality in the United States are at unprecedented levels for modern times. These are disparities not seen since the dawn of the French Revolution.

Having extensively examined the evidence of governance amongst Homo Sapiens bands whilst still nomadic hunter-gatherer communities during the Ice Age, archaeologists and historians agree that Homo Sapiens lived according to an informal democratic [Demos – people, Kratos – rule; from the ancient Greek] system. They did have leaders for their band of 30-50 members [sometimes a little larger], but their leaders could not afford to be autocratic or authoritarian or to stratify their band into classes [this was the case for most of humankind’s 250,000-year history with the exception of the last 12,000 years, the period following the beginning of the Agricultural Revolution. At that point, humankind was gradually domesticated by wheat and barley in the Euphrates and Tigris River valleys of Mesopotamia.]

Authoritarian rule was not possible in communities prior to the Agricultural Revolution since these bands [a band is the fundamental and original unit of human society] would simply abandon their leader if they were to behave in some unacceptable manner. Such an abandonment would be dangerous for the leader and existential in its outcome since the leader would now lose the protection of the band, as well as their collective and diversified skill set, which was so crucial for the survival of the band and each of its members. If a leader still refused to leave following an attempt to marginalize or ostracize them, then they would likely be murdered whilst in their sleep. Thus, the threat of such an existentially threatening outcome served as an effective mechanism to contain authoritarian, antisocial behavior by would-be dictators.

But following the end of the Ice Age and the beginning of the Agricultural Revolution, those with relatively higher levels of intelligence and strength – and thus the ability to rise above their peers and govern them – soon took advantage of their new stature and began to force their will. Soon, humankind fell under the authoritarian rule of kings, aristocrats and priests who told the society stories [religions] in which they claimed the king ruled by the divine right of a particular god or pantheon of gods. Before long, the society, the legal code and social rules they were forced to live by became stratified, and the collective misery of humankind had begun.

Since humankind had now become accustomed to living in settlements, villages, towns and cities, a return to a nomadic, independent life free of serfdom and other authoritarian constructs was no longer possible – all surrounding land was claimed by the king, the aristocracy and the priests – and so the people were trapped as peasants, serfs and slaves. Conflict and war raged as aristocrats and kings sought to expand their territories by conquering the territories of others in a quest to build or expand their empire. The subjugation of larger tracts of land and its inhabitants meant more crops to harvest and profit from and more subjects to work, tax and enslave. Peace was now defined as a brief pause that allowed warring societies to bury their dead, care for their wounded and forge new swords for the next fight in defense of their land or in the conquest of new land. It was an endless cycle of misery for the vast majority of humankind.

There were attempts in the ancient world to change this dystopian reality, at least to some degree. Aegean civilizations, most notably the Athenians in the fifth century BCE experimented with modalities of government that allowed representation from some segments of society such as the landed gentry, but slaves, women and most others were excluded from participation or representation in this new system they called democracy. But Athenian Democracy under Pericles collapsed following the conflict known as the Peloponnesian War between Athens and Sparta [the charismatic Athenian leader, Pericles was struck down by the Plague]. The famous Athenian and father of Philosophy, Socrates was put on trial at the age of 70 in 399 BCE and was found guilty of being against the democratic ideals of the Athenian State. He was subsequently sentenced to death. Socrates was allowed to choose the method of his death – crucifixion or poison [hemlock] – and the 70-year-old father of moral philosophy settled for death by poison.

Socrates believed that Democracy would lead to the rise of demagogues. He and his young disciples, Plato and Xenophon [both wrote extensively about Socrates otherwise we would not know anything about him since this ancient Greek Father of Philosophy chose not to write his thoughts and ideas himself] also felt that Democracy was essentially mob rule. They argued that it wasn’t acceptable to make one decision one day and change it the next simply because this was the will of the people – it’s what the masses wanted to do. They argued that decisions in matters of state needed to be made according to the moral framework they had been developing and this framework didn’t change or evolve from day to day.

In Rome, Republican rule with broader representation began around the same time as that of the Athenians and lasted for about 500 years until Julius Caesar abused the emergency powers granted to him by the Roman Senate to declare himself dictator for a period of six months. Caesar refused to give up these emergency powers following the six-month window and subsequently declared himself dictator for life. Caesar was eventually assassinated in an incident known as the Ides of March and this was the beginning of the end of the Roman Republic. After Rome, the notion of democracy was essentially abandoned by subsequent civilizations for most of the next 2,000 years.

Xenophon, the disciple of Socrates referenced earlier, had written a biography of Cyrus the Great, the founder of the first Persian Empire, the Achaemenids, and this work, Cyropaedia, along with the works of great thinkers from the European Enlightenment resurrected democracy in the American colonies. The new American experiment was the first instance of some form of representative rule since the end of the Roman Republic.

Today, with the arrival of 4th Industrial Revolution technologies, specifically, Artificial Intelligence, we may now have a tool that can enable democracy or any other ideology of governance [benevolent or malevolent] unlike any previous time in history. AI has the capability to comprehend what to humankind is, for all intents and purposes, an infinite volume of information and knowledge which requires an infinite amount of time to digest and therefore out of the scope of possibility. But in doing so, AI’s adjudication in legal matters or advice in legislative, military, policy or any other matters of State, albeit incontrovertible, will then be impossible for humankind to comprehend, but nevertheless, we will need to defer to and trust this AI Agent’s judgement. This will be terribly unsettling.

We can now make the case that since AI is acting in a way that does not have a bias towards any one group versus another, representative democracy is no longer necessary and society can dispense with so much of the infrastructure of governance, perhaps leaving in place a much smaller, more efficient polity requiring minimal oversight. It’s a fascinating notion of what a future with such advanced forms of Artificial General or Super Intelligence based governance might offer humankind.

In summary though, this is of course just one possible outcome in the use of AI in the realm of governance amongst many. Dystopian outcomes that pose an existential threat to humankind are equally plausible and give us cause for considerable concern as this powerful technology quietly grows in its abilities [not unlike an invisible, odorless and toxic cloud slowly descending over society – by the time we recognize its potential, for good and evil, it will be too late].










Vicar Sayeedi is a Computer Scientist and Engineer, a Lecturer and a Consultant. Vicar is also the author of several books. His most recent book is about Artificial Intelligence and is titled, The Génome Affair.

Vicar has lectured widely on the subject of Artificial Intelligence including at the National Hemophilia Foundation, The Royal Boroughs of Kensington & Chelsea and Westminster in London, the National Library of Singapore and in Silicon Valley, California.

Vicar is most interested in the big questions facing humankind. He is particularly focused on studying at the confluence of the five great disciplines of Human History, Political Science and Thought, International Affairs, Science and Technology. This intersection offers a deep understanding and pedagogically important lessons of how advances in human endeavor have influenced and impacted civilization.

Vicar has been writing books, essays and poetry for many years. For the past 30 years, Vicar has worked in the Technology and Pharmaceutical industries. He is currently a Consultant in the Life Sciences Industry and lives in suburban Chicago with his wife and their three grown children.


You can find Vicar’s recent book on AI, The Génome Affair on Amazon at this link:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07YQ7M9Q7

The most recent episodes of Vicar’s ai & u! Podcast are on YouTube at the following links:

Episode 1 - https://youtu.be/yNYr28jtY_k
What is Artificial Intelligence? What is Human Intelligence?

Episode 2 - https://youtu.be/kAEgDNh1Nwc
How Did We Get Here? Machine Learning, Neural Networks & the AI Lexicon, Exciting AI Agents

Episode 3 - https://youtu.be/3PYCyv1pCgM
Deep Mind - How Powerful is Narrow AI? State Surveillance and Surveillance Capitalism

Episode 4 - https://youtu.be/WvobCMIM_H4
Impact on Societies That Possess Artificial Intelligence Versus Those that Do Not!

Episode 5 - https://youtu.be/4JVpvm4g79g
Surveillance Capitalism, Surveillance State, 4th Industrial Revolution, Bifurcation of Sapiens

Episode 6 - https://youtu.be/e1q2GgcWQok
AI, Blockchain & Quantum Computing - Implications for Global and National Governance

Episode 7 - https://youtu.be/4bDSUvrOdd4
Popular Perceptions of Intelligence, the Seat of Human Intelligence and Implications for AI

Episode 8 - https://youtu.be/3GjHqQZL7Pk
AI - Why Should I care? Plus Exciting Updates from Elon Musk and Neuralink!

Episode 9 - https://youtu.be/enpecqDecC8
AI - Excellence, Innovation & Genius

Episode 10 - https://youtu.be/UsriESlTjdA
Implications for AI as China and the West Decouple

Episode 11 - https://youtu.be/0CpaMb-yw3g
Artificial Intelligence: Ethics, Law & Society

Episode 12 - https://youtu.be/PLzodrLWMq0
AI & Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems

Episode 13 - https://youtu.be/Lm_nrNyJRbA
AI & the Future of Work in Industry 4.0 – the 4th Industrial Revolution

Episode 14 - https://youtu.be/_3E1Mhr_Dt8
Artificial Intelligence and its Implications for Authoritarianism and Democracy

Episode 15 - https://youtu.be/IpMUqHOEd7w
Artificial Intelligence, Consciousness & the Future of Homo Sapiens

Episode 16 - https://youtu.be/mIf7_VMzGKo
AI and its Implications for America's Political Environment

Episode 17 - https://youtu.be/gsMRPnovZGI
Special Episode: Reading From The Génome Affair

Episode 18 - https://youtu.be/UxNxtWDCREM
Artificial Intelligence - Digital Tyranny, Datocracy and the Imitation Game

Episode 19 - https://youtu.be/Db8U0QQWWuY
Does Artificial Intelligence Really Replicate Human Intelligence?

Episode 20 - https://youtu.be/Np18AEq-6DM
AI & Rising Geopolitical Tensions Between China & The West

Episode 21 - https://youtu.be/fOMSvNiixA0
AI & In-vitro Fertilization [IVF]

Episode 22 - https://youtu.be/EQPpRhIV6Kw
AI & Human Intelligence: A Complex Relationship

Episode 23 - https://youtu.be/EAbQ7stY7JQ
AI Upends the World of Structural Biology

Episode 24 - https://youtu.be/Bsb1F8uoBpA
AI & COVID-19: An Extraordinary Contribution

Episode 25 - https://youtu.be/PqL5PCRc8tA
AI, Connectomics & Transhumanism: the Future of Humankind

Episode 26 - https://youtu.be/HI8Zjl8VM8U
Dramatic Upheaval Inside Google's Ethical AI Team

Episode 27 - https://youtu.be/TqWwJYc2GxQ
AI & Cyber Espionage | How Will the Sunburst Attack Affect Our Security?

Episode 28 - https://youtu.be/89BcThqgcfQ
AI & the Rapidly Escalating Threat from Deep Fake Videos

Episode 29 - https://youtu.be/zvOHRMmJNB4
AI, Facial Recognition Technology & The Digital Surveillance State

Episode 30 - https://youtu.be/br4ygfEWdk0
AI & Social Media | The Most Destructive AI We've Ever Seen?

Episode 31 - https://youtu.be/sOy12ii8zwM
The Democratization of AI & The 2021 Maiflower Expedition | Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA

Episode 32 - https://youtu.be/bixdLL74reE
Sino-American Cold War | A Blessing in Disguise for America?

Episode 33 - https://youtu.be/tTRm312DgMc
AI & the Tyranny of Meritocracy

Episode 34 - https://youtu.be/FpPzC5VP6GM
In the Midst of Chaos and Pandemic | A Big AI Announcement From the Trump Administration

Episode 35 - https://youtu.be/bK3xCBwrG8w
Artificial Super Intelligence – Can We Control It?

Episode 36 - https://youtu.be/Rc60DQ0L86Q
A New America | Hope with a Big Dose of Caution

Episode 37 - https://youtu.be/UBenYYHbYqM
Will AI [Science & Tech] Benefit From a New Cold War with China?

Episode 38 - https://youtu.be/JewJnPywnOU
Will AI Eventually Replace All Other Forms of Government?

Episode 39 - https://youtu.be/ibuJ8vozyqg
Will AI Perpetuate Bias in Employment, Health Systems, Law and Society?

Episode 40 - https://youtu.be/IJYbPfGC-08
AI | Will it be the Bain of Cyber Criminals?

Episode 41 - https://youtu.be/ozrO5_XTYKQ
AI | What Will it Mean for the Future of Work?

Episode 42 - https://youtu.be/kDKapDK-Vb0
AI | A Harbinger for the End of Democracy?

Episode 43 - https://youtu.be/7XeNyE8CA9I
AI & the Life Sciences | Developments in Connectomics & Radiology

Episode 44 - https://youtu.be/mWaPW_UolVo
AI & Geopolitics | Critical Strategic Planning in the Age of China

Episode 45 - https://youtu.be/qOSOc3vJRBk
AI & Humankind | What Might the Future Hold?

Episode 46 - https://youtu.be/atMSV1WAFkg
AI Enabled Surveillance | An Important Tool to Contain Dangerous Personality Traits?

Episode 47 - https://youtu.be/kz7-EDmlGXc
Will AI Favor Authoritarianism or Democracy?

Episode 48 - https://youtu.be/uTvKWQgdOaI
AI | A Key Enabler of Universal Basic Income?


Episode 49 - https://youtu.be/sy48Xqo-3qM
AI & The Future of Government, Industry, Markets &Trade

Episode 50 - https://youtu.be/JU1oGzb5TS0
AI & Surveillance | America’s New Strategy in the Middle East

Episode 51 - https://youtu.be/nOCQjUxLWJY
AI-Enabled Global Government | An Idea Whose Time Has Come?

Episode 52 - https://youtu.be/g1VJqiI3HyE
AI & Healthcare | What Will the Future Look Like? Will it be More Equitable?

Episode 53 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Surveillance | The Ethical Dilemma of Facial Recognition Software

Episode 54 - https://youtu.be/ie9KAg_kF7Q
AI & Regulation | Europe is Leading the Way

Episode 55 - https://youtu.be/l-gcYTZMsm8
AI & Consciousness | Will Machines Soon be Sentient?

Episode 56 - https://youtu.be/-8BaouCn9cs
AI & Regulation | Europe Announces New Rules

Episode 57 - https://youtu.be/243zm7aHImQ
AI & Human Emotion Recognition | Is it Inherently Flawed?

Episode 58 - https://youtu.be/rdXllGj8rbo
AI & Autonomous Vehicles | Where are We Now?

Episode 59 - https://youtu.be/EMbqpN5mbqw
AI & the 4 Little Trees | More on Emotion Recognition

Episode 60 - https://youtu.be/K5wtkj-VTrk
AI & the Colonial Pipeline Attack | Cyber Threats are Growing Rapidly

Episode 61 - https://youtu.be/03KysO3VJgI
AI & the Coronavirus | A Postmortem

Episode 62 - https://youtu.be/7wmSIWgbuQI
AI on the Battlefield | The Conflict in Gaza

Episode 63 - https://youtu.be/a_1AmLJD3lo
AI and Xenophobia | Will We Finally Break the Cycle?

Episode 64 - https://youtu.be/9s-Go1TYK9c
AI, Cyber Attacks & the Future of War | Where are We Headed?

Episode 65 - https://youtu.be/1nKbTMzfpqM
Artificial Intelligence | Humankind’s Final and Greatest Invention


Episode 66 - https://youtu.be/cplR62KTa88
America & the 4th Industrial Revolution | Where do We Go From Here?

Episode 67 - https://youtu.be/RMrqreI-PRw
Artificial Intelligence | [Digital] Life After Death

Episode 68 - https://youtu.be/KzR8NkVdT0Q
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor

Episode 69 - https://youtu.be/BI0HqACc4Ek
Artificial Intelligence | The Fear Factor

Episode 70 - https://youtu.be/nKhqVtQC_NI
Artificial Intelligence | Implications for the Future of Democracy