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I think that gen AI has profound negative externalities. I also think that all the other uses of this tech aside, natural language comprehension alone is cool a

I think that gen AI has profound negative externalities. I also think that all the other uses of this tech aside, natural language comprehension alone is cool and useful enough that I don't see us ever going back. So I guess my question for the author is what they're trying to achieve in this essay. Some of the big players in tech may have beliefs that align with some of the tenets of fascism. But the label is so well-worn that it's meaningless. Buying books on Amazon is fascism, writing on Medium or Substack is fascism, having pets is fascism, etc. So, this day and age, not much is accomplished by uttering the word. With this in mind, what's the prescription the author actually has to offer? That's where it really gets dicey, because the only takeaway from this writing seems to be "geez, someone ought to set some datacenters on fire".

whattheheckheck 5mo ago
https://www.v-dem.net/documents/75/V-Dem_Institute_Democracy_Report_2026_lowres.pdf https://www.v-dem.net/documents/75/V-Dem_Institute_Democracy... "You best start believing in ghost stories... youre in one" Executive Summary (not ai, its from the pdf above from Sweden) 1. Democracy in the World, 2025 Democracy for the average global citizen has declined to 1978 levels. The gains of the “third wave of democratization,” which began in Portugal in 1974, have been almost entirely erased. The level of democracy for the average citizen in Western Europe and North America is now at its lowest point in more than 50 years, primarily due to ongoing autocratization in the United States. The United States has lost its long-standing status as a liberal democracy for the first time in over five decades. Autocracies and Democracies By the end of 2025, the world had 92 autocracies and 87 democracies. Approximately 74% of the world’s population, or 6 billion people, now live in autocracies. Only 7%, or 0.6 billion people, live in liberal democracies. The “Great Reversal”: 2000 vs. 2025 Nearly all aspects of democracy have declined significantly over the past decade, marking a dramatic reversal from conditions 25 years ago. Freedom of expression has been the hardest hit, with declines recorded in 44 countries in 2025. Torture is increasingly being used to suppress political opposition, with 33 countries experiencing substantial deterioration in 2025. 2. Trends in Regime Transformation The world has never seen as many countries autocratizing at the same time as it has during the recent years of the “third wave of autocratization.” A record 41% of the world’s population, or 3.4 billion people, currently live in autocratizing countries. The European Union has been significantly affected. Autocratization now affects seven EU member states as well as two of the EU’s key allies: the United Kingdom and the United States. 3. Autocratizing Countries Nearly a quarter of the world’s countries are now classified as autocratizers, totaling 44 countries. These 44 autocratizers include 24 stand-alone autocratizers and 20 bell-turns. In 2025, 10 new autocratizers were identified. Among them are five European countries: Croatia, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom. Media censorship remains the most common tactic among autocratizing governments, used in 32 countries, or 73% of autocratizers. Repression of civil society has also surged, affecting 30 autocratizing countries, or 68% of the total.
negura 5mo ago
> Some of the big players in tech may have beliefs that align with some of the tenets of fascism. But the label is so well-worn that it's meaningless. the article you're responding consists of a very long list of very specific criteria for fascism and how they directly apply to AI > what they're trying to achieve in this essay. the closing sections make pretty clear what the intentions (or aspirations) are

whattheheckheck 5mo ago

https://www.v-dem.net/documents/75/V-Dem_Institute_Democracy_Report_2026_lowres.pdf https://www.v-dem.net/documents/75/V-Dem_Institute_Democracy... "You best start believing in ghost stories... youre in one" Executive Summary (not ai, its from the pdf above from Sweden) 1. Democracy in the World, 2025 Democracy for the average global citizen has declined to 1978 levels. The gains of the “third wave of democratization,” which began in Portugal in 1974, have been almost entirely erased. The level of democracy for the average citizen in Western Europe and North America is now at its lowest point in more than 50 years, primarily due to ongoing autocratization in the United States. The United States has lost its long-standing status as a liberal democracy for the first time in over five decades. Autocracies and Democracies By the end of 2025, the world had 92 autocracies and 87 democracies. Approximately 74% of the world’s population, or 6 billion people, now live in autocracies. Only 7%, or 0.6 billion people, live in liberal democracies. The “Great Reversal”: 2000 vs. 2025 Nearly all aspects of democracy have declined significantly over the past decade, marking a dramatic reversal from conditions 25 years ago. Freedom of expression has been the hardest hit, with declines recorded in 44 countries in 2025. Torture is increasingly being used to suppress political opposition, with 33 countries experiencing substantial deterioration in 2025. 2. Trends in Regime Transformation The world has never seen as many countries autocratizing at the same time as it has during the recent years of the “third wave of autocratization.” A record 41% of the world’s population, or 3.4 billion people, currently live in autocratizing countries. The European Union has been significantly affected. Autocratization now affects seven EU member states as well as two of the EU’s key allies: the United Kingdom and the United States. 3. Autocratizing Countries Nearly a quarter of the world’s countries are now classified as autocratizers, totaling 44 countries. These 44 autocratizers include 24 stand-alone autocratizers and 20 bell-turns. In 2025, 10 new autocratizers were identified. Among them are five European countries: Croatia, Italy, Slovakia, Slovenia, and the United Kingdom. Media censorship remains the most common tactic among autocratizing governments, used in 32 countries, or 73% of autocratizers. Repression of civil society has also surged, affecting 30 autocratizing countries, or 68% of the total.

negura 5mo ago

> Some of the big players in tech may have beliefs that align with some of the tenets of fascism. But the label is so well-worn that it's meaningless. the article you're responding consists of a very long list of very specific criteria for fascism and how they directly apply to AI > what they're trying to achieve in this essay. the closing sections make pretty clear what the intentions (or aspirations) are