Big Tech Versus the Common Good. Pathologies of the Technology Race for Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

The technology race for artificial intelligence has produced pathologies that are characterized by the dominance of a handful of powerful players and strong information and power asymmetries. Platform companies act as gatekeepers for digital infrastructures and knowledge. In the race for AI market leadership, their extensive access to data and computing capacities increases the concentration of power among tech corporations and puts smaller players at a disadvantage. Wealth and technological power are concentrated in the hands of a few, while many remain excluded from the opportunities of AI-supported value creation. Global and social disparities are widening. A widespread use of strong AI in professional and private contexts will also be associated with rapidly increasing consumption of energy, water and non-renewable resources unless solutions to conserve resources are consistently taken into account. However, the primary goals of AI development are market dominance and profit maximization: ecological, social and ethical aspects are put on the back burner. This prevents AI from being consistently oriented towards the common good, a goal which is surely necessary for such a far-reaching technological revolution. Digital infrastructures, especially in the field of AI, are characterized by technological dependencies. In geopolitically volatile times, the associated risks are exacerbated, as political actors have the ability to restrict access to essential infrastructures or to attach conditions to them. In addition, language models can be used in a targeted manner to influence public discourse. Language models shape what is visible and sayable, what knowledge is disseminated and how it is evaluated. The specific way in which models do this also reflects the political inclinations of their developers. This creates the potential for manipulation. It is clear that there is a lack of democratic negotiation on the use of generative AI.