Political activism in the age of AI

4 fundamental theses

Marx, Nietzsche, Foucault and Massimo Cacciari in a dystopian future painted by Grok.

Yes, we’re fu**ed

The double intersection of AI acceleration and the rise of authoritarianism is a threat to democracy, the free pursuit of knowledge and human flourishing. It is a real threat to the core values of enlightenment: rationality, tolerance and the free pursuit of science. The current trends are pushing to a reality of fear, war and obscurantism. The rise of superintelligent artificial cognitive systems, while not intrinsically nefarious, present by itself significant dangers for human adaptation in future scenarios. The fact that superhuman capabilities, even if not general in nature, will be in the wrong hands represents a danger of historical proportions.

Acceleration and scale

AI systems, event accounting for the increased efficiency in the use of resources, are developing in a highly centralized way. Massive investments in infrastructure, training and the acquisition of scarce resources (energy, data, talent, semiconductor technology) are necessary to push significant advances. Recent developments, such as the announcements from Deep Seek, will likely not reduce this trend and can even accelerate the appetite for the hoarding of computing infrastructure.

Politics will stay relevant

The monumental capex investment in AI systems is deeply tied to the development of military capabilities. In the future, it cannot be taught without the approval and active incentivization from institutional players. In the wrong hands, it could already be seen as a paperclip maximizer—only for power. Political will and political entities will be key for the future social, economic and geopolitical impact of AI.

Political activism in the age of AI

The push for open source, crypto-based and decentralized solutions as a counterbalance to centralized control of resources is one of the key strategies for dealing with the present situation. On the other hand, it will not be enough. The birth of decentralized free counter-powers will not be like the immaculate conception of Bitcoin. The fact that superpowers of continental scale are involved means that access to the political discourse and access to the use of force will be essential. At least within democratic states we cannot retreat to our private lives, protecting our information and assets with cryptographic means. The solution cannot rely solely on technology.. We need to openly push for democratic control of AI power and push back autocrats with all the means at disposal. We believe that history will ultimately revert to the development of enlightened democratic institutions. Reducing the time of the dark ages requires direct political action.