Who Controls AI? Exploring Power, Politics, and the Future of Technology

Artificial Intelligence is often framed as a neutral tool or inevitable technological progression. However, Kate Crawford’s Atlas of AI challenges this view by highlighting the political forces that shape AI’s trajectory.

Many AI technologies originate from military research, designed for defense and intelligence purposes. These origins influence how AI is used today, particularly in surveillance and policing. The expansion of military-grade AI tools into civilian life raises concerns about privacy, civil liberties, and social control.

Moreover, AI development is concentrated in the hands of a few powerful corporations that dominate research, infrastructure, and deployment. This concentration shapes whose interests AI serves and who benefits economically, often sidelining public accountability and ethical considerations.

The blurred boundaries between state and corporate AI power create a landscape where technology reinforces existing social hierarchies and inequalities. Predictive policing, facial recognition, and mass data collection exemplify how AI extends state capacity for control, often disproportionately affecting marginalized communities.

Crawford’s work calls for democratic governance, transparency, and accountability in AI development. It urges society to question who controls AI, who decides its uses, and how power is distributed in this rapidly evolving technological landscape.

Understanding these dynamics is critical for shaping AI in ways that promote justice, equity, and human rights.

Sources: Critical Inquiry, Technology Review