In a chilling interview with Google co-founder Sergey Brin, Klaus Schwab, the founder and chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), called for the exclusion of the general public from election processes.
Schwab spoke about the potential of digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI), to advance the WEF’s agenda, moving from analytical and predictive modes into a prescriptive mode. He suggested that the predictive power of technology may someday replace elections, saying, “Why do we need elections? Because we know what the result will be.”
Schwab’s comments indicate that he favors the use of technology to shape global policy and outcomes rather than through the democratic process. It raises the question of who will control the technology and who benefits from its use. This move toward a prescriptive mode would threaten the already fragile democratic process and could lead to a world where a small group of unelected elites hold all the power.
Yuval Noah Harari, a senior advisor to the WEF, expressed concern about the possibility of President Donald Trump winning reelection this year. Harari believes that Trump’s reelection could be detrimental to the global order.
Harari criticized the false binary vision presented by politicians, which pits patriotism against globalism. He claimed that politicians present the false idea that citizens have to choose between being loyal to their nation or being loyal to some kind of global government.
Schwab’s comments, coupled with Harari’s concerns, highlight the ongoing debate concerning the use of AI and other digital technologies in politics. The increasing use of technology in decision-making raises questions about how much of the process should be left to human discretion.
