AI, Internet, and Authoritarianism: The Currency of Control

(A Reflection on Power in the Digital Age)

The Illusion of "Artificial" Intelligence

We call it artificial intelligence, but what we’re really witnessing is the culmination of information as the ultimate currency. AI is not some detached, futuristic entity—it’s a mirror reflecting humanity’s collective behavior, desires, and fears. As Yuval Noah Harari argues, data has become the bedrock of power in the 21st century, and those who control it "will shape the future of life itself."

The Internet: From Town Square to Panopticon

The internet began as a democratizing force—a digital town square where ideas could flow freely. Today, it’s evolved into something far more contradictory: a global surveillance engine disguised as a public forum. Every click, search, and share feeds what Shoshana Zuboff terms "surveillance capitalism," where human experience is mined as raw material for profit and control. Governments, once seen as servants of the people, now partner with corporations to harvest this data, not just to govern but to predict and direct societal behavior.

"You standardize society to control it. Predictability is power."

Authoritarianism in the Algorithmic Age

Authoritarian regimes have always sought to control narratives—censoring media, silencing journalists, and crushing dissent. Today, AI supercharges this playbook. Tools like facial recognition, predictive policing, and algorithmically curated state propaganda allow governments to automate repression. China’s Social Credit System, Russia’s sovereign internet law, and Iran’s AI-driven internet shutdowns reveal a global trend: AI isn’t democratizing information—it’s weaponizing it to entrench power. As Steven Feldstein writes, "Digital authoritarianism is becoming the default model for 21st-century dictatorships."

The Rise of the Predictable Citizen

History shows that governments hope to "see" their citizens. Ancient empires used censuses; modern states use passports and tax records. But the internet enabled quantum leaps in social engineering. Search engines like Google turned curiosity into trackable data; social media platforms like Facebook weaponized our need for connection, creating what Zeynep Tufekci calls "algorithmic manipulation at scale." The result? A society where our habits—from shopping to protesting—are mapped, analyzed, and exploited.

Screen Time = Surveillance Time

The average person now spends over 6 hours daily online, with teens often doubling that. Every minute spent scrolling, gaming, or shopping leaves a trail of behavioral breadcrumbs. AI systems turn this data into predictions—not just about consumption but compliance. E-commerce platforms like Amazon don’t just sell products—they sell predictions about what you’ll buy next. Even children are datafied before they can vote, as UNICEF warns about the ethics of profiling minors.

The Crisis of Trusted Information

If data is the new gold, trust is the new scarcity. The same tools that democratized knowledge have flooded us with disinformation and algorithmic echo chambers. Authoritarian regimes exploit this chaos, flooding platforms with bots and deepfakes to drown out dissent—a tactic documented in Myanmar and Ukraine. As Timothy Snyder writes, "To abandon facts is to abandon freedom." Yet platforms profit from outrage and confusion, leaving users questioning: Where do I find truth in a world of synthetic media and deepfakes?

Reclaiming Agency: Can We Fix This?

The path forward isn’t Luddism—it’s reimagining systems. Examples include:

• Decentralization: Platforms like Mastodon or protocols like Solid (invented by web creator Tim Berners-Lee) aim to return data ownership to users.
• Regulation: Laws like the EU’s GDPR penalize data exploitation, while activists push for bans on surveillance advertising.
• Education: Teaching media literacy, as Stanford’s Civic Online Reasoning project advocates, helps users discern truth from manipulation.

Who Controls the Future?

The internet’s promise was empowerment, but its reality is a battleground between control and liberation.

"Information is the greatest currency—and the greatest sin."

Authoritarianism thrives where truth is malleable, but tools like AI are neither inherently good nor evil—they reflect the values of those who wield them. In the words of Audre Lorde, "The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s house." Reclaiming the internet’s democratic potential will require building systems that prioritize transparency, equity, and user control.