Unlike most young people, I am somewhat cynical concerning the greatness, omnipotence, and benevolence of artificial intelligence. While I understand that AI will reap benefits for society by improving efficiency and many other things, I remain concerned that it could also foster the decline of individual autonomy, freedom in the general sense, and free will.
A new poll from Rasmussen Reports and The Heartland Institute concerning the question of whether AI should be put in charge of major policy decisions sends shivers down my spine.
The poll, which included 1,496 likely voters aged 18 to 39, found that more than four-in-10 young Americans would support a proposal to replace human lawmakers with an advanced AI system that would dictate public policy decisions.
Let that sink in. More than 40 percent of young people are okay with letting AI algorithms determine our nation’s laws, regulations, and rules.
While it is disturbing that such a large chunk of young people want to put AI in charge, it also shows how frustrated young Americans are with the status quo.
Consider that 74 percent of young people think the cost of housing is at a crisis level, 44 percent think their economic future and personal happiness will be worse than their parents, and only 22 percent believe it will be better.
For many young people, the American dream is dead.
More than likely, many young people cast blame for their economic plight on past and current political leaders, establishment institutions, and traditional methods and procedures. They do not trust those who have made the American dream unachievable as capable or likely to engineer the necessary course correction.
This deep cynicism, bordering on nihilism, has become entrenched among young people and made them vulnerable to radical, even revolutionary changes. More than half of young people want to see a democratic socialist win the White House in 2028. Nearly 60 percent want a nationwide rent freeze and government-run grocery stores in every town.
More than a third want AI to replace the Constitution and the Supreme Court. Nearly 40 percent want to grant AI the authority to determine the rights of individuals and families, including rights regarding property, speech, religion, and government power. Incredibly, 35 percent support an advanced AI system that has the authority to control the world’s largest militaries.
Keep in mind that young people have grown up in a digital age that breeds skepticism about the old way of doing things, like the antiquated notion of voting for human beings to represent our interests. I think they scoff at the idea that a document that was written more than 200 years before smartphones were invented could possibly be better than something generated by AI.
In general, young people are enraptured with AI. More than 70 percent of U.S. teenagers have used AI chatbots and the American Psychological Association warns that “teens are turning to AI chatbots for friendship and emotional support” at an alarming rate. Some teenagers have even committed suicide after being encouraged to do so by a soulless AI chatbot.
I don’t think young people realize the potential implications of ceding control over society to AI. For one, it will transform humans into mere automatons that will become reliant upon and dependent upon algorithmic commands, which will erode free will, creativity, ambition, purpose, and dignity.
An AI governing system effectively takes humans out of the loop under the guise that it has the information, bandwidth, and wherewithal necessary to make neutral decisions seeking unbiased objectives.
I don’t buy that for a second. AI is unlike anything ever invented because it has the capacity to become more intelligent than its creators. At some point, the tables could turn, and we could become the puppets of AI. While many may laugh at this, it should be taken seriously.
In the years to come, we will see AI becoming more embedded in everyday life. Like bankruptcy, it will happen gradually, then suddenly.
Before we let the AI genie fully out of the bottle and grant it the awesome authority to basically oversee and micromanage society, we ought to have a vigorous debate as to what red lines must be drawn first.
Should AI replace judges and juries? We are already using AI to set bail and jail sentences in the criminal justice system. While some may see this as a good way to reduce error and human bias, others see it as a small step toward AI enslavement.
As AI overtakes menial tasks and simple decisions, it will be tempting to increase its scope and authority. By the looks of it, young people seem more than willing to incorporate AI across the societal landscape. This may seem good at first as life becomes more convenient; however, it also sets the stage for an AI overlord.
Chris Talgo (ctalgo@heartland.org) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.
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