Mythmakers take over power ...

Yuval Noah Harari begins his book Nexus (Penguin, 2024) with the assertion, "Power isn't wisdom." He fears that Modern Man is no wiser than Stone Age Man. In history, we see society repeatedly entrusting power to the most unfit: Hitler and Stalin in the last century, charlatans, cheats, boasters, and bullies in our own days.

Curiously, such leaders thrive on the ignorance of the masses, blind followers who are mesmerised by their leader's delusive oratory. Hitler and Stalin hated the truth. They marginalised intellectuals, perceptive people, and critics. As George Orwell says, they sturdily believe that ignorance is strength, objective truth, and an abomination.

Power manufactures its own truth ...

Now, we come to the main point we want to emphasise: disinformation through the misuse of AI has become a path to power. Then, power manufactures its own truth. Today's 'majoritarian leaders' create their own truth and feed the public with legends to promote their ideological interests. Claiming to speak in the name of the people, they impose their sectarian views on minorities and marginals. They embellish reality and cover up truth with lies, falsehoods, fantasies, and fake information. Twelve years of Nazi rule led to the destruction of Germany. Twelve years of BJP-RSS domination sent India to Washington with a begging bowl.

'Order' is not fairness, not justice ...

The tragedy is when people are happy to be deceived. The global astrology market is $12.8 billion. In any case, fairness is due to everyone. If America and China want to be great, so does Panama. So does Greenland, Liechtenstein, Malta, Singapore and Maldives. But a dictator wants order and applause within his society and deference from elsewhere.

The US Constitution created order but condoned slavery, subordination of women, and expropriation of indigenous people. Only the 13th Amendment to the Constitution abolished slavery. Majoritarian dictators impose order (subordination) on the "other" community. The "others" (minorities in India) are considered less than human. For the Hutus, the Tutsis were cockroaches; for the Nazis, Jews rats; for Amit Shah, minorities termites; for Trump, blacks, browns and yellows lesser beings. Democracy seeks to bring balance between Truth, Justice and Order.

In a democracy, 'self-correcting institutions' function ...

A democratic order makes its 'self-correcting institutions' function, like the media and the court. American media, for example, criticised war crimes in Vietnam. People walked in the streets against George Bush's Iraq invasion.

Not that democracy has no defects. Elections can be rigged. The public can be misled. But democracy itself provides remedies. The judiciary can be invoked, the public can be re-educated by vocal criticism, and demonstrators can exert political influence. Thus, democratic networks have self-correcting mechanisms.

Intellectuals have a mission ...

It can also happen that elections lead to a 'majority dictatorship'. True democracy is not majority rule but freedom and equality for all. India is self-questioning the true nature of its leadership. Once in power, the dictator attacks its self-correcting mechanisms, like the free press and judiciary, one by one. Even judges may bend to the dictator, and the media may applaud him or remain silent.

If the media and the courts fail, sociologists, historians, philosophers, and religious leaders have the duty to expose the ruling classes' mistakes, biases, and partisan policies. But intellectuals are marginalised, boxed in, or eliminated one by one…in several countries by the government machinery, and in India, also by mob intervention.

Democracy is an ongoing 'conversation'...

Yuval Harari describes democracy as an ongoing conversation with numerous participants. Beware of populist leaders. They can deceive the people with their slogan "One People, One Country, One Leader," the leader remaining infallible! In Venezuela, Chavez is the people. But Harari insists that the majority group has no right to exclude others.

Democracy, then, is an ongoing conversation. Populists may attempt to grab the media, courts, and universities and make all self-correcting mechanisms dysfunctional. But these cannot renounce the duty to protect the truth. Each group must be corrected by their 'peers', media personnel by other media personnel, and intellectuals by other intellectuals. Unfortunately, today's press seeks only to flatter the tyrants.

Again, it is a great misfortune today that too few people want to listen. Parliamentary debates have collapsed. People only want to hear their opinions confirmed. There is no ongoing conversation.

Finally, every society has some healthy ethical code provided by its living philosophy, e.g. Judeo-Christian teachings in the West, Quranic principles in the Middle East, Confucian tradition in China, and Dharmic convictions in India, that invite its members to act loyally and responsibly. These implanted convictions must be invoked. They exert internal power.

The "psychological cost" of yielding to a strongman-leader: Absence of motivation

Stalin's forced collectivisation of land, property, and production demotivated people. There began a passive resistance. People killed their cattle rather than hand them over. They were unwilling to strain themselves to the work of the communes. Harvests went low. Subsequent famine carried away 8.5 million people. Well-to-do peasants were accused, killed, and exiled. Stifling truth led to the ossification of the mind. Independent thinking ceased to exist. Worst of all, Stalin became an object of worship, a hero for applause.

Soviets found that with poor motivation, industrial accidents increased, dysfunctional products multiplied, and waste gathered volume. When things went wrong, the One-man Ruler got away by blaming a 'foreign' hand or internal 'traitors' and corrupt subordinates. Failures were put to the 'conspiracy' of aliens. Fighter jets increased, but the goods that people needed plummeted. We in BJP-RSS India are buying fighter jets and producing Brahmos missiles, while poor people are faced with inflation of prices of goods for their daily needs. Trump found Indian taxes the highest.

Russia's defeat before the Nazis turned out to be the "psychological cost" of Stalinism. The Indian humiliation of seeing their people hand-cuffed and chained can be identified as the "psychological cost" of being led by a dominating figure.

An invitation to a sense of responsibility...

Under democracy, apart from individuals, many associations, organisations, municipalities, and charities come forward to help. But the multiplication of voices and disorderliness of demonstrations can lead to chaos, anarchy, and 'fracturing' society. It can lead to violence, as happened with the murder of John Kennedy and Martin Luther King, armed clashes like in 1968, or protest gatherings in Paris or Chicago. Despite such testing times, democratic countries stood strong. Though totalitarian regimes find it easier to handle demonstrators, they break down over time. The Soviet system collapsed.

Democracy is put to the test once again by the insensitive use of computers, smartphones, social media and AI. This is an invitation to a deep sense of responsibility to digital architects to place the new voices at the service of humanity for the common good and shared future. This calls for the right choice between Truth and Order.

Today, we stand before a new set of realities for which we are hardly prepared. We are bewildered by machines that can make decisions, create new ideas, and spread hatred. A new Silicon Curtain can divide human society.

Computers are already at the front of financial decisions, medical analysis, and political evaluation ...

If a company's sole goal is profit, it tunes the computer for 'increased user engagement.' If outrage or scandal invites more viewers, outrage is offered generously, and anger spreads. Fake stories multiply. Facebook becomes richer. A hasty AI analysis of the financial situation can lead to a wrong decision and an economic crisis like 2008.

Computers are already making increasingly more financial decisions, dominating the markets, and inventing new financial tools. People have begun to follow the 'computer adviser.' More than 90% of trading is already done by computers talking to each other. How many people know how the forex market operates? Currencies, bonds, and stocks have become digital entities.

When one writes computer code, one must take responsibility: one is redesigning politics, culture, and society. Even if Facebook, Amazon, Baidu, and Alibaba are subject to us as customers and voters, they shape our whims and tastes. They lobby, influence the government, and throttle regulations.

Beware of data colonialism ...

Some norms are fair. Tech giants should pay taxes to countries from which they extract data. We get information from them; they extract information from us about our plans, fears, and tastes. They have become 'information-rich'. Their data should be taxed. Everyone is worried about the spread of 'data colonialism.' Here, there is a stunning information asymmetry.

Constructive government surveillance can help promote health, security, and employment. It can spot corrupt officers and tax evaders, test drinking water, and discern illnesses. However, a ubiquitous computer network can follow every citizen 24 hours a day. If, by mistake, a digital device declares a person a 'terrorist,' he may be killed!

The post-privacy era is here; be doubly responsible ...

The post-privacy age has come. CCTV cameras can analyse facial features, even the movements of our eyes. In 2023, a billion CCTV cameras were being used worldwide. Facial recognition algorithms are used by the police. More than 19,000 people were arrested and 500 killed over the hijab issue in Iran. Non-governmental peer-to-peer surveillance has begun; taxis have it, restaurants.

China has introduced a 'social credit system' that values good behaviour. It prioritises citizens when buying tickets or admission to a university. Judges may inflict harsher sentences if one has a poor record. It fights corruption, false advertising, etc. But you are watched all the time… no privacy, no moment of relaxation. This calls for correction. Privacy is precious.

In social media, the line between free speech and fairness must be drawn with a sense of responsibility. That alone will ensure a healthy conversation in democracy. If our basest instincts are fostered for commercial advantage, it will be socially and psychologically destructive. It will leave no space for truth and compassion. The tech giants must be asked to invest in truth. YouTube and Facebook should manifest Social Responsibility.

Maximise happiness, minimise suffering ...

Napoleon's aggressiveness weakened France, Nazi aggressiveness weakened Germany, Soviet rashness weakened Russia. Powerful AI systems should be given instructions to "maximise happiness," not profits, "minimise suffering," and "protect human rights." Computers can be racist, misogynist, homophobic, or anti-Semitic, based on the data provided to them. We will face consequences if they are fed falsehoods, prejudices, and myths. AIs can be set to express doubt, ask questions, and learn from mistakes. They should be prevented from producing "psychological weapons of mass destruction." Human institutions must monitor them carefully.

All computer suggestions should be evaluated. A team of experts, using AI assistance, can assess algorithmic decisions. Again, social media does not need to be made an 'anarchic public conversation.' Parliamentary discussions need not turn chaotic. The other party members are not enemies. Conversation must be civil.

Dictators can become puppets of algorithms, their own tools controlling their decisions. What happens if they make a significant mistake? Humanity stands in danger of splitting between two empires. Interacting with separate networks and different computer codes (e.g., between the US and China) becomes problematic. Or few corporations can make of the rest of the world their data colonies.

Make responsible decisions ...

As long as the conversation continues, bondedness can remain. Globalism need not kill nationalism. National and global interests can be balanced. Manipulative algorithms can be avoided. Eagerness of countries to be hegemons can be tamed. Military expenditure can be reduced.

But responsibility must be evoked. Democratic values should be fostered. We cannot allow ourselves to be manipulated by our own creation; they can destroy us. It is our choice. Harari says, "the decision we make today will shape the future.