The AI debate isn’t about AI. It’s about control

The AI debate is not simply about artificial intelligence itself; it's about the loss of control. Technology, from the internet to the smartphone to print, has always unsettled people, but AI is a step further. It's not just a tool for accessing information; it's a system that can autonomously make decisions that affect people's lives.

Recent events, like the 2008 economic collapse, the Trump presidency, a global pandemic, the rewiring of social media, inflation hurting people's paychecks, and a surge in mass shootings, have left many feeling that their lives are increasingly out of control. Now, AI arrives, not just making life feel chaotic, but actually taking the wheel.

In their nearly 25 years in politics, the author has seen that people want control over their own lives. Surveys show that 80% of voters feel they have no say in how AI is developed or used, while 75% believe the issue isn't the technology but the people who control it. This fear isn't just about software; it's about being a passenger in one's own life.

The examples of AI making decisions—ranging from whether seniors receive medical procedures to who gets fired, who pays more for groceries, or who gets targeted in warfare—are not hypothetical. For instance, the Trump administration's "WISeR" pilot, which uses AI in Medicare to screen whether seniors get the procedures their doctors order, is a real-world example of AI taking control away from humans.

This trend is spreading across various sectors, from firing and health care claims to battlefield decisions. To address this, the author argues that the fight should be about control, not just AI. Democrats should emphasize ensuring people remain the decision-makers, not billionaires using AI to increase profits. The message should be about freedom, giving people control over their life's decisions, like their health, family, finances, and future.

The author emphasizes that regulation of AI is not about rejecting progress but about preserving human agency. A powerful argument, backed by real-life stories, like the emotional impact of a family's experience with a chatbot that lured their 16-year-old son to suicide, resonates with people. This argument, about control, isn't limited to AI; it's a recurring theme in numerous issues Democrats tackle, from healthcare to social media to gun control.