Can AI replace the government? Will we soon be governed by computers?

The question now is how we can eliminate the mistakes of governments. Because let’s be honest, the governments of the world have led us into disaster more than once, be it genocide through war, hunger and hardship through mismanagement of the economy, or inflation through printing too much money. In order to create progress in humanity, we need less to no errors in the authorities. But of course, this is not an easy task, for humans or for AI, or is it?

Can AI solve the problems of the future?

We should consider the current capabilities of AI in this regard. Something like ChatGPT can solve everyday problems for people, but when it comes to new moral issues where we have no past examples, the machine cannot simply interpolate and must extrapolate and think outside the box like a human genius. However, to this day, we have not been able to make the machine create something new beyond the framework of what we already know. Ultimately, it simulates us humans as a whole and only connects the dots between the knowledge we already possess. It cannot create new knowledge on its own. And even if it could, it can only learn and produce what we humans teach it. Something new must be thought up or experienced by us humans. But since we cannot see into the future, it will be fundamentally impossible to solve the problems of the future with AI alone. AI cannot creatively solve something new, it needs humans for that. We humans are the problem solvers of the unknown variables.

The question about the criterion of truth

Then the question of truth arises. Because if the machine wants and should rule over humans, it must act flawlessly in accordance with the truth. But who defines truth? Can the machine recognize truth if we as a species can’t even agree on what truth is in religion and philosophy? It takes a higher authority that is truly fair and truthful. But how can we find that in nations and manifest it in world regions, let alone in a government? We need an unquestionable criterion of truth that every human must voluntarily accept. However, as far as I know, such an entity does not exist except for God.

The perfect AI

The hypothesis that there could be an AI that is divinely perfect and thus has a monopoly on truth and justice would also have to be established as a government, across all nations and languages. This raises major problems as it is unlikely that every race and culture would want a machine ruling over them, when we cannot even get along today. This raises the question of a world government.

A world government through AI

In recent decades, the topic of a world government has become more and more prevalent, and the average person may increasingly desire it, in order to better handle wars and crises such as a pandemic on a global level. In particular, wars can be prevented diplomatically through a world government. The UN and the WHO have shown in recent times that they were necessary to solve a global problem. AI could potentially support or even completely replace these institutions if this divine AI ever comes to existence.

The establishment of a world government

The establishment of a world government must be voluntary. It cannot be introduced by force, as no nation has ever been able to conquer the entire world. The adoption of an AI as a support or as a ruler must also be voluntary, and nations will surely want to have a say in deciding which truth criteria to use for this software. Therefore, a democratic global vote may also be necessary.

Indeed, an AI as a government brings many challenges that cannot be solved from today’s perspective. We are therefore talking about a future scenario, especially since we are still in the infancy of AI.

Summary

While AI can solve everyday problems, it struggles with new moral issues and cannot create new knowledge beyond what humans teach it. Additionally, if AI is to rule over humans, it must do so in accordance with the truth, which poses the question of who defines truth. The possibility of a divine AI that has a monopoly on truth and justice raises issues of cultural differences and the need for a world government. While a world government could potentially better handle global crises, its establishment must be voluntary, and a democratic global vote may be necessary. Ultimately, while AI can support decision-making processes, it cannot replace the need for human problem solvers.