The perfect president is an AI
Politicians surprise us every day. From authorising toxic chemicals in consumer goods, to throwing billions of tax money into their friends’ companies. And yet we trust and vote for them. What’s broken in democracies?
Water cooler chatter
Lots of ideas come up when discussing politics, to name a few:
- forbidding “careers” in politics, i.e you could be doing politics no more than 3 years, the time of a professional break
- replacing senators with internet referendums
Democracy is a system where opinions shared by the vast majority give way to those made by a minority.
However, propositions that threaten the established political class have a long way to go. We could dwell on such ideas and wait for a political saviour to implement them. But let’s take a step back: would any of those improve fundamentally the current situation? I am not so sure, and here is why.
The problem stems in human nature
Every day, big and small decisions are made at all levels.
- secretaries of state, senators: they break their budget into subsidies, contracts, … and choose who gets them
- mayors: should we deforest this zone to build new condos? Their call.
What if a new highway has to be built right in front of their house because it is the cheapest and simplest path? Can they make an unbiased ruling? No, it’s human!
Authorise toxic chemicals to double fruits production, traded for a villa on the French Riviera? Impossible to refuse! ;)
We empower people to take care of the society. But their personal interests are at stake. They will try to leave a lasting mark or be reelected. It’s inevitable. And yet, decisions have to be made.
Referendums
If the power should not be in the hands of a single decision maker, what is left? Commissions? Organised crime. Referendums, because that’s what we should be doing in a democracy? Plus internet makes them easy!
But what about mass influence then? Think about the “Fake news” recently. And locally, a handful of people would influence the rest, at the bar, at the church… They will seek power because “they are like you” and “they are honest”. How would that be different?
Artificial intelligence
Which leads us to AI. If computers beat us at chess and if they can drive our cars, can’t they drive our nation?
When you know that 95% of airplane crashes stem from a human mistake: a misunderstanding between the control tower and the pilot, leadership tensions with the copilote, … (Ah, ego problems)
Such a system probably doesn’t exist yet but let’s dream.
The debuts would be rough. People who don’t understand why this system would be better would be protesting, lead by ambitious people who would pretend not to understand it.
Be manipulated by politicians and newspapers? Yes!
Be lead by a computer? No!
Computers would not be corruptible. They would not steal tax money. They would have clear goals: social, moral, economical, human, ecological. The code would be open source and decisions could be checked by every one.
Decisions would be carefully evaluated, and not based on elections to come. They would not have a personal bias. They will be pacific.
After one year, taxes would have dropped by 50% while keeping benefits the same. How? Corruption at all levels, military spending, … Democrats and republicans could stop fighting. Alleluia.
Unfortunately, some detractors would start to demonise the machines, because they don’t look like us, though they would be more human than any of those they replace. Detractors, elected, “would answer people’s needs”. Would we believe them?
