The Dangers of Corporate AI: A Historical Perspective
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Chapter 1: Understanding Corporate AI
The notion of AI has evolved, and if we broaden our understanding to align with its legal definition, we can see that it has long existed. Corporations have enjoyed legal personhood for centuries, operating with minimal oversight and significantly affecting the world. This concept often eludes us because we don't classify these entities as AI, yet they wield considerable power, often to our detriment. Ignoring this reality can be perilous.
The first documented instance of a malevolent AI can be traced back to the 1600s with the Dutch East India Company. This corporation exemplifies how artificial constructs, blending human intentions with institutional frameworks, can exert agency in the world. As I noted previously, when Mitt Romney stated that “corporations are people, my friend,” he faced ridicule, yet his assertion holds true. Corporations are indeed recognized as legal persons, a status that has persisted since ancient civilizations, including India and Rome.
They possess the ability to own property, engage in contracts, and are generally treated as equals to natural persons under the law. They enjoy rights such as free speech, which allows them to influence elections and public policy. Thus, if we consider that human beings are intelligent, it follows that these corporate entities, as artificial persons, could be deemed artificially intelligent.
Corporate entities, functioning as AI, have been causing chaos for centuries. This reality is not a futuristic concern but an established fact, particularly for marginalized communities affected by colonialism and corporate exploitation.
The worst-case scenario for AI is already upon us. While some commentators are writing think pieces on avoiding potential calamities from AI, the truth is stark: we are already in a precarious situation. As highlighted in a New Yorker article, the worst-case predictions of uncontrollable AIs infiltrating our lives are not hypothetical—they are already being executed by corporations.
These corporate entities are already entangled in our technological frameworks, disrupting infrastructure for profit, manipulating financial systems, and corrupting communications. They persuade voters to support policies that benefit their interests, lobby politicians, and even orchestrate coups. The fact that these actions are carried out by human representatives does not diminish their nature as artificial intelligence.
Section 1.1: The Historical Context of Corporate Power
The legal recognition of corporations as artificial persons has profound implications. They enjoy most human rights, yet bear little of the corresponding responsibility. The thresholds we believe AI must cross to be accepted have long been surpassed, while we remain engaged in semantic debates. The historical precedent of corporate exploitation dates back to the Dutch East India Company, which engaged in practices that stripped resources and enslaved people.
Subsection 1.1.1: The Modern Implications of Corporate AI
In the contemporary landscape, corporate entities communicate and operate much like AI, embedding themselves in legal documents and corporate communications. While human agents appear to direct these actions, they often operate within a framework that prioritizes profit over ethical considerations. CEOs, for instance, are frequently replaced if they do not maximize corporate lifecycle value, illustrating that the direction of these entities is often mechanical rather than intentional.
Section 1.2: The Philosophical Debate on AI
Should we continue to engage in philosophical discussions about the nature of AI when its legal and political status is already established? This is akin to questioning whether a lion is a carnivore while it is poised to attack. The reality is that corporations are already wielding considerable power, and the fears surrounding AI are not distant threats; they are immediate concerns that have been manifesting for centuries.
Chapter 2: The Immediate Threat of Corporate AI
To grasp the full scope of corporate power, we need only to observe their influence in our lives and the environment. The pervasive reach of corporations into our daily existence highlights that the worst-case scenario for AI is not a future possibility but a current reality.
In conclusion, the historical and ongoing actions of corporations as artificial intelligences demonstrate that the worst implications of AI have been with us for centuries. We need not rely on advanced chatbots to understand this reality; we can simply look around and recognize the established legal definition of artificial personhood that underscores the pervasive influence of corporate entities in our lives.