Generative AI and Democracy: the synthetification of public opinion and its impacts

Abstract

More advanced Generative AI, such as GPT and Gemini, is bringing about important changes in modern democracies. In this context, some of the variations produced by Generative AI point towards a substantial improvement in the spheres, processes, functions and activities of democratic systems. However, there are also growing criticisms of the actual and virtual impacts of its massive and uncritical application and use. Among other issues, this synthetically intelligent technology seems to exacerbate the main threats to the existence and good health of modern democracies: tyranny of the majority, individualism, democratic and technological despotism, ideological oppression of the masses, silence, self-censorship, disinformation, manufacturing aristocracy, lack of criticism, legislative serfdom, silent revolutions, etc. This work, based on classic authors such as Alexis de Tocqueville and Jürgen Habermas, aims to reveal and criticise the current democratic drift towards synthetics and algorithmicizing contexts and its consequences on, above all, the public sphere and public opinion.

Keywords: algorithmic democracy, generative democracy, synthetic public sphere, synthetic public opinion, technological despotism