Why AI undermines democracy and what to do about it

2024 is an election year, with about half of the world’s population casting their votes at the ballot box. While elections do not guarantee democracy, democracy cannot exist without them. This truth has emboldened anti-democratic forces to undermine the resilience and health of elections worldwide. Notably, artificial intelligence (AI) tools have intensified these anti-democratic efforts. Six months into 2024, reports have highlighted AI misuse in election campaigns and results in India and the United States, suggesting that the elections in the latter half of the year are also vulnerable to such abuses. Mark Coeckelbergh’s illuminating book comes at a critical time to inform readers about the complex relationship between AI and democracy. The book’s title encapsulates its central argument that ‘AI, as it is currently developed and used, risks undermining the fundamental principles and knowledge basis on which our democracies are built and does not contribute to the common good’ (p. 120). Within the existing literature, Coeckelbergh’s significant innovation lies in the pathways he delineates to address the pitfalls of AI under specific conditions: a deeper, more republican conception of democracy (chapter seven) and a nuanced understanding of the broader political dimension of technology (chapter eight).