Emperors, Gladiators, and Algorithms in Democracy's Public Square

From Santa Fe Institute

Allison Stanger, Middlebury College This talk examines how artificial intelligence is transforming the governance of public discourse through the lens of technology platforms' unique triple role: as market competitors fighting for dominance, as quasi-governmental entities ruling vast digital territories, and as developers of algorithmic systems that increasingly moderate and shape public debate. Drawing on recent developments from the AI arms race triggered by ChatGPT to battles over free exp...