Asking AI about democracy and the future (10/18): Gemini’s answer (6/7)

The Contested Horizon: Navigating Humanity's Near Future Amidst Geopolitical Shifts, Democratic Erosion, and Technological Transformation (6/7)

Table of subtitles

V. The Transformative and Disruptive Power of Science and Technology (AI)[8]

 

A. The Rise of Digital Feudalism and Techno-Feudalism

 

The rapid advancement of science and technology, particularly artificial intelligence, is ushering in new forms of societal organization that bear striking resemblances to historical feudal systems, termed "digital feudalism"[3] and "techno-feudalism."[4]

 

Digital feudalism represents a fundamental shift in human governance, where economic, social, and behavioral control is increasingly enforced through centralized digital infrastructure, AI, and algorithmic governance.[2] This emerging system is distinct from traditional feudalism in that it is self-organizing, automated, and data-driven, making resistance and exit increasingly difficult.[2] Its core characteristics include:

 

• Loss of financial and economic independence: As cash is phased out and digital currencies, such as Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs), gain prominence, individuals become increasingly reliant on centralized financial institutions that possess the power to regulate and restrict transactions.[2]
• Algorithmic control of information and speech: AI-driven moderation systems[5] govern access to digital platforms, enabling the silencing of dissenting voices and the shaping of narratives to reinforce existing power structures.[2]
• Erosion of privacy: The continuous tracking of biometric data, online activity, and financial transactions subjects individuals to perpetual surveillance, effectively eliminating the ability to operate outside the system.[2]
• Emergence of social credit systems[6]: Compliance with state and corporate policies directly determines an individual's access to goods, services, and even fundamental rights like travel and employment.[2]

 

Within this framework, AI functions as the "invisible hand of control." Surveillance AI tracks individuals' financial, social, and online behaviors. Predictive policing AI identifies and neutralizes "threats"—often dissenting individuals—before they can act. Algorithmic content moderation dictates what information people see and whether they can communicate online. Automated legal systems leverage AI to enforce financial restrictions, digital identity verification, and compliance monitoring.[2] Individuals effectively "rent" access to algorithms for various services, from content recommendations to work assignments, rather than owning physical assets. AI-based policing and financial systems automatically detect and punish "undesirable" behavior, freezing accounts, restricting transactions, and denying loans, often without human intervention or clear accountability.[2]

 

Techno-feudalism extends this concept, positing that traditional capitalism is being superseded by a new system dominated by Big Tech corporations. These companies, such as Google, Amazon, Meta, and Tencent, act as the new "digital lords," controlling vast digital infrastructures, data, and online platforms.[1] Unlike traditional capitalist enterprises that profit from competitive production, techno-feudal lords extract "digital rents" from users and smaller businesses that are dependent on their platforms, achieved through imposing fees and controlling access to data and digital services.[1] This leads to "platform sovereignty," where tech companies establish their own governance models for digital labor, content moderation, and data usage, often with minimal state oversight, thereby privatizing governance and challenging national sovereignty.[1] Digital monopolies actively stifle competition by acquiring rivals or making it financially unviable for competitors to operate.[1] A critical aspect is the blurring of boundaries between corporate and state power, particularly evident in China, where digital monopolies closely coordinate with the state, integrating AI and big data into governance structures.[1] This dynamic fuels a "Digital Cold War" between the U.S. and China, where AI, cybersecurity, big data, and 5G technologies are weaponized, reconfiguring global security and governance.[1]

 

B. Erosion of Privacy and Autonomy

 

Under the emerging paradigm of digital feudalism, the erosion of privacy and autonomy is a central and alarming consequence. Individuals are increasingly stripped of ownership over their data, digital assets, and even their financial independence, effectively becoming "digital serfs" reliant on corporate platforms and AI-driven decision-making, often overseen by government-regulated digital financial systems.[2] The continuous and pervasive tracking of biometric data, online activity, and financial transactions creates a state of perpetual surveillance, fundamentally eliminating the ability to operate outside the established digital system.[2]

 

This pervasive surveillance is intrinsically linked to the emergence of social credit systems, which are enforced by AI. These systems determine an individual's access to essential services, goods, and even fundamental rights like travel and employment, based on their perceived compliance with state and corporate policies.[2] This creates a "digital leash," where non-compliance can lead to punitive restrictions such as financial penalties, travel bans, public shaming, and even predictive modeling that preemptively punishes individuals based on anticipated future behavior.[2] Furthermore, the rise of the gig economy[7], heavily reliant on precarious labor models dictated by algorithms, strips workers of traditional employment protections, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation due to a lack of regulatory oversight.[1] This comprehensive digital control system, driven by AI, poses a profound threat to individual freedoms and the very notion of personal autonomy.

 

Footnotes

1. https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cdp-2024-0017/
2. https://un-futureslab.org/project/futures-thinking-and-strategic-foresight-in-action-insights-from-the-global-south/

3. The notion that people in developed countries such as the U.S. have become "serfs" in a feudal culture that pays homage to digital overlords such as Google, Amazon and Meta. Also called "technofeudalism," many feel this is today's capitalism. https://www.pcmag.com/encyclopedia/term/digital-feudalism, viewed on July 11, 2025.
4. Technofeudalism is the idea that we are not transitioning from capitalism to something better, but slipping into a system where tech companies function like modern feudal lords. Varoufakis argues that since the 2008 financial crisis, our economic system has fundamentally changed. The cloud, big data and digital platforms have become the “land” of this new era, controlled by tech giants like Google, Amazon and Meta. https://thebeautifultruth.org/the-basics/what-is-technofeudalism/, viewed on July 11, 2025.
5. A moderation system is a set of processes and rules used to manage and control user-generated content on online platforms, ensuring it aligns with community guidelines and standards. It aims to create a safe and positive user experience by identifying and addressing inappropriate, harmful, or offensive content. Google AI Overview, viewed on July 11, 2025.
6. The social credit system is a national system in China aimed at monitoring and evaluating the trustworthiness of citizens, businesses, and government entities. Google AI Overview, viewed on July 11, 2025.
7. The gig economy is a labor market characterized by short-term, freelance, or contract work, often facilitated by digital platforms. Google AI Overview, viewed on July 11, 2025.
8. [Blogger's Note] Some of the cases of transformation and destruction caused by science and technology mentioned here are already happening, but many of them are hypothetical phenomena that could happen in the future. And most of them are negative and should not happen. However, it is also true that if we ignore the dangers and negative aspects, they can become reality. And they can happen in a short period of time.