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It's hard not to imagine AI tools becoming the most powerful instruments of propaganda ever created. What happens when the state can create unlimited quality content? When it can turn years of phone conversations, social media posts, and browsing history into a one page summary and risk profile? When it controls exactly what issues get attention? I don't think people are alarmed enough about the political implications of these tools.

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Why focus on the state, often the most incompetent player adopting new technologies?

Incompetence is often more harmful than even malice. Imagine how terrifying it would be if, their incompetence not only led them to create a very flawed AI for the risk profile, but also led them to believe that AI is always right.

To the point of incompetence handling tech: if you buy into the negative outcome scenarios, it's far more likely private companies would break the game before the state operationalises any sort of harmful AI at scale. And it if it ever got to that point, a state "flawed AI" would be easily countered by better AIs, open source even.

What else is more dangerous?

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