AI Lowers Persuasion Costs, Empowering Elite Influence on Mass Opinions

AI technology, particularly LLMs and ChatGPT, significantly reduces the cost of generating and disseminating persuasive content, enabling elites to shape mass preferences more efficiently. The article explores how AI accelerates propaganda and influence operations compared to existing methods like targeted Facebook ads, highlighting risks such as information manipulation, erosion of democratic processes, and increased public trust in AI outputs. Comments discuss concerns about elite control, grassroots movements being outpaced, and AI’s potential to enforce conformity. This deep dive into AI’s societal impact offers valuable insights into the intersection of technology, ethics, and power dynamics for tech-focused readers.