AI-powered lies and manipulation constitute the gravest threat to humanity. At least this is the dystopian scenario espoused by the collective wisdom of 1,500 experts surveyed in the World Economic Forum’s 2024 Global Risks Report last week.

Unfortunately, such outbreaks of “elite panic” are a recurring phenomenon. Whenever the public sphere is expanded through new communications technology, the traditional gatekeepers fret about the dangers of allowing the general public — too fickle and unlearned — unmediated access to information.

Read the full article by Jacob Mchangama