De machtscode: Hoe de onzichtbare belangenstrijd achter AI onze democratie bedreigt

by Marietje Schaake

De kans is groot dat je dagelijks AI gebruikt – voor een recept, een samenvatting, een boekentip. Nooit eerder omarmden we een nieuwe technologie zo snel, en nooit werd er zo massaal in geïnvesteerd. Van scholen tot het leger en de overheid: overal wordt AI ingezet. Maar met elke stap geven we de democratische controle verder uit handen. De grote vraag is: aan wie, en met welke gevolgen? In dit heldere pamflet ontleedt technologie-expert Marietje Schaake de machtsstrijd achter AI en laat ze zien waarom – en hoe – Europa en Nederland daar een politiek antwoord op moeten formuleren.

104 pages, Paperback

Published April 21, 2026

About the author

Marietje Schaake is a Fellow at Stanford’s Cyber Policy Center and at the Institute for Human-Centered AI. She is a columnist for the Financial Times and serves on a number of not-for-profit Boards as well as the UN's High Level Advisory Body on AI. Between 2009-2019 she served as a Member of European Parliament where she worked on trade-, foreign- and tech policy.

Reviews

[Jeroen Verbraak · Rating 4 out of 5]

“The profits are for Big Tech; the risks and consequences are for society.” This is one of the book’s most powerful reminders. While reading, I often thought about The Tragedy of the Commons: without proper regulation, short‑term, self‑interested gains undermine long‑term sustainability. This dynamic is painfully evident in how AI is being developed and exposed to the public - without fully understanding its broader consequences.

“We live in a gigantic experiment.” Indeed, we do. While medicines are subject to strict regulation before they reach the public, AI products are often deployed first and evaluated later. We are told that some pain is necessary for a better future - but a better future for whom?

This is not a book that opposes AI. Rather, it offers a constructive alternative: a path where AI is developed and deployed in tandem with societal interests, not merely to further inflate the bank accounts of billionaires.

AI needs regulation. History shows that power tends to corrupt, and believing that the market alone will solve this is akin to believing in fairy tales.

Marietje concludes the book with concrete recommendations, such as visualising the steps toward digital sovereignty, testing AI before market release, ensuring equitable AI, decentralising AI knowledge (which is currently overly centralised), making enforcement more flexible, and building an EU AI stack. These and many other proposals could help politicians shape a coherent AI agenda that truly serves the interests of the EU.

What kind of society do we want? And when do we consider AI to be successful? These are fundamental questions. They should shape how we develop and govern AI - rather than unleashing it and simply accepting its unintended consequences.

In short: a great book, well worth reading.

[Davy Buntinx · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helemaal eens met de grote lijn, de uitwerking vind ik wat aan de magere kant. Een geschipper tussen “Ja we kunnen het” en “Ja we moeten het” met voorstellen die net iets te weinig concreet worden om echt te beklijven.

[Mike van Holsteijn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Belangrijk boekie!

[Gert-Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Belangrijk pamflet