Building supercomputers for autocrats probably isn't good for democracy
a year ago
- #AI Ethics
- #Authoritarianism
- #OpenAI
- OpenAI announced 'OpenAI for Countries' to support democratic AI infrastructure globally.
- OpenAI partnered with the UAE to build large-scale AI data centers, despite the UAE's poor democratic record.
- The UAE scores 18/100 on Freedom House's civil liberties and political rights assessment.
- OpenAI claims the UAE partnership is 'rooted in democratic values,' despite the country's autocratic governance.
- OpenAI's arguments for the UAE deal include spreading democratic values and helping the US 'win' the AI race against China.
- Critics argue the deal empowers the UAE's autocratic government and normalizes AI as a tool for authoritarian control.
- The article highlights concerns about AI infrastructure consolidating power in the hands of a few private companies and authoritarian regimes.
- The author calls for regional AI task forces to resist and investigate the transnational harms of such partnerships.