Historian Warns AI Could Threaten Democracy
Listen to the story
US historian Jill Lepore, who has won the Pulitzer prize, has written a new book about the dangers of artificial intelligence. The book is called The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State. It argues that AI threatens liberal democracy, the system where people vote freely and governments protect individual rights.
Lepore's main argument is that private tech companies now hold enormous power. She points out that these companies are often led by men whose personal priorities may not match what is good for society. This gives them huge influence over how AI develops and how it is used.
According to Lepore, this situation could lead to a dystopia, a frightening future society where democracy is destroyed. She warns that parts of this dystopia are already appearing in the world today, not just in some distant future.
The book traces the history of technology and power, showing how earlier events connect to today's AI boom. Lepore uses her skills as a historian to explain how we reached this point and why it matters.
Reviewers describe the book as an ominous warning, meaning it predicts serious trouble ahead. The review calls it a serious and thoughtful look at how technology could reshape, or even end, democratic government as we know it.
Vocabulary7 words
- historian
- someone who studies and writes about the past
- Pulitzer prize
- a top prize given for excellent writing
- artificial intelligence
- computer systems built to act and think like humans
- liberal democracy
- a government system with free elections and protected rights
- power
- the ability to control or influence people and events
- dystopia
- an imagined future society that is very bad
- ominous
- giving a feeling that something bad will happen
Quiz
Answer key
1. The threat AI poses to democracy 2. Mostly men with their own priorities 3. False
Fill-in-the-blank listening
Play the audio again and fill in the missing words as you listen.
US historian Jill Lepore, who has won the _____, has written a new book about the dangers of _____. The book argues that AI threatens _____, the system where people vote freely.
Lepore's main argument is that private tech companies now hold enormous _____. She points out that these companies are often led by men whose personal priorities may not match what is good for society.
According to Lepore, this situation could lead to a _____, a frightening future society where democracy is destroyed. She warns that parts of this dystopia are already appearing today.
Reviewers describe the book as an _____ warning, meaning it predicts serious trouble ahead.
Discussion questions
- Do you think powerful tech companies have too much influence today? Why or why not?
- What could governments do to reduce the risks Lepore describes?
- Why might a historian be well suited to write about the future of technology?
- Do you agree that AI could threaten democracy? Explain your view.
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