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Technocracy – the theoretical artificial computer-powered government that has no reason to be emotionally involved in the process of governmental operations. Citizens spend only about 5 minutes per day voting online for major and local laws and statements, like a president election or a neighborhood voting on road directions. Various decisions could theoretically be input into the computer system, which would process information and votes, publishing laws considered undeniable, absolute truths, made by wise and non-ego judges.
What clearly comes to mind is a special AI serving as a president and senators. Certified AI representing different social groups during elections, such as “LGBT” AI, “Trump Lovers” AI, “Vegans” AI, etc., could represent these groups during elections fairly. AI, programmed with data, always knows outcomes using algorithms without the need for morality – just a universally approved script untouched by anyone.
However, looking at the modern situation, computer-run governments are not a reality yet. Some Scandinavian countries with existing basic income may explore this in the future.
To understand the problem of Technocracy, let’s quickly refresh what a good government is, what democracy is, and where it came from.
In ancient Greece (circa 800–500 BCE), city-states were ruled by kings or aristocrats. Discontentment led to tyrannies, but the turning point came when Cleisthenes, an Athenian statesman, introduced political reforms, marking the birth of Athenian democracy around 508-507 BCE.
Cleisthenes was a sort of first technocrat, implementing a construct allowing more direct governance by those living in the meta organism “Developed society.” He was clearly an adept of early process philosophy. Because he developed system that is about a process, a living process of society. The concept of “isonomia,” equality before the law, was fundamental, leading to a flourishing of achievements during the Golden Age of Greece. Athenian democracy laid the groundwork for modern political thought.
Since that time Democracy showed itself as not perfect (because people are not perfect) but the best system we have. The experiment of communism, the far advanced approach to community as to a meta commune, was inspiring but ended up as a total disaster in every case.
On the other hand Technocracy is about expert rule and rational planning, but the maximum of technocracy possible is surely artificial intelligence in charge, bringing real democracy that couldn’t be reached before.
What if nobody could find a sneaky way to break a good rule and bring everything into chaos? It feels so perfect, very non-human, and even dangerous. But what if Big Brother is really good? Who would know if it is genuinely good and who will decide?
It might look like big tech corporations, such as Google and Apple. Maybe they will take a leading role. They might eventually form entities in countries but with a powerful certified AI Emperor. This AI, that will not be called Emperor because it is scary, would be a primary function, the work of a team of scientists for 50 or more years of that Apple. It will be a bright Christmas tree of many years working over perfect corporative IA.
This future AI ruler could be the desire of developing countries like Bulgaria or Indonesia.
Creating a ruler without morals but following human morals is the key. Just follow the scripts of human morality. LLMs showed that complex behavior expressed by humans can be synthesized with maximum accuracy. Chat GPT is a human thinking and speaking machine taken out of humans, working as an exoskeleton.
The greatest fear is that this future AI President will take over the world. But that is the first step to becoming valid. First, AI should take over the world, for example, in the form of artificial intelligence governments. Only then can they try to rule people and address the issues caused by human actions. As always, some geniuses in humanity push this game forward.
I think it worth trying. If some Norwegian government starts to partially give a governmental powers to the AI like for small case courts, some other burocracy that takes people’s time.
Thing is government is the strongest and most desirable spot for those people who are naturally attracted by power. And the last thing person in power wants is to lose its power so real effective technocracy is possible already but practically unreachable.
More thought experiments on SSRN in a process philosophy framework:
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