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Comment by gillesjacobs | Hacker News Reader

I don't agree with the author: technology such as A.I. as a means for exerting illiberal control on citizens is not inherently a feature of capitalism.

>how much would you fear it if we lived in a world that was a lot like Denmark or if the entire world was run sort of on the principles of one of the Scandinavian countries?

Yet they have ANPRs, larger camera networks and digital surveillance too. Not a strong argument against capitalism which in it's libertarian form would not allow for governments to effectively wield these weapons of control.

Those in power will always yield technology to increase their power over the population. We just need the societal and political technology to not allow them.

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> I don't agree with the author: technology such as A.I. as a means for exerting illiberal control on citizens is not inherently a feature of capitalism.

I think you're technically correct here, but, it is a feature of capitalism that only a small number of wealthy elites control this technology, especially given the incredibly large costs involved in training and maintaining AI models.

So we're largely at the mercy of these people and the corporations they control on whether they choose to implement it in an illiberal manner. That is, we're essentially relying on our technological overlords being of the 'benevolent dictator' type, regardless of profit incentives presented to them.

Personally, I don't have much hope in this regard, given what we've seen already.

> technology such as A.I. as a means for exerting illiberal control on citizens is not inherently a feature of capitalism.

It is, though. Say, for example, student loans, where an AI will score how likely is a single person to default on their loans, so that the company can refuse unprofitable people or increase their rates. It's very easy that the AI picks up some proxy metrics, such as zip code, or parental education level, or something like that, and decides to refuse students who would otherwise have paid reasonable-rate loans. However, by refusing them they cut an opportunity to improve themselves and reinforcing the vicious cycle.

In other words, capitalism cares about profits. AI gives capitalism a way to increase profits, sometimes with little accountability ("it's the AI, we are not actively discriminating against you") and without caring for actual persons or overall social good.

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