There is much talk about artificial intelligence these days and how it may impact our lives for better or for worse. Delta Airlines has apparently started using artificial intelligence to determine airfares. They claim that they are not tracking individual data and not targeting fares based upon specific buying habits of individuals but are using AI at a more macro level. Even if one accepts that at face value, it is a virtual certainty that at some point down the road, some corporate whiz kid will figure out a way to use data on each flying individual to squeeze every penny out of the consumer.
Artificial intelligence is a tool and like so many tools, it can be used for good or for evil. Nuclear energy is a tool, and it can be used for good to provide power to millions of households and businesses or it can be used to build nuclear weapons capable of obliterating much of the planet. And, like nuclear energy, no one should underestimate the capacity of people to use AI for nefarious purposes, including to rig elections.
AI, if used properly, can take much of the drudgery out of certain tasks and can help to solve intractable problems. A problem that would seem to be tailor made for AI along with some mathematicians and statisticians is the task of drawing Congressional districts. AI could be used to delineate ‘fair’ districts that were 1) proportional to the population, 2) accurately reflect the demographics of a given area and 3) were drawn with ‘reasonable’ boundaries. I have no doubt this could be done. People who are really interested in democracy and fair elections would fully support such an effort.
However, in the more likely scenario given the political corruption that has infected the American landscape, AI will be used to gerrymander districts to ensure the party in power stays in power. One only has to look at what is going on in Texas with Governor Abbott’s effort to redraw the electoral map between censuses. The only reason he is doing this is to ensure Republicans maintain their hold on power in Texas and in the House of Representatives.
I do not know if the Texas administration is using AI to help their nefarious plot or if they are doing it the old-fashioned way, but if they are not using AI, it is only a matter of time before such efforts are used.
Elon Musk’s DOGE team gained access to oceans of data on virtually all Americans. Couple that with Peter Thiel’s (J.D. Vance’s mentor) company Palantir whose claim to fame is that they can handle, manipulate, mine, sort, and extract information from extremely large datasets and you have the makings of a political monster. It is not difficult for me to imagine a scenario in which Congressional districts are routinely drawn and redrawn with the help of AI in between censuses based upon changing demographics in such a way the party in power stays in power.
Remember, Representatives are elected for only two-year terms. Conceivably, Congressional districts could be redrawn before each election for Representatives. It has to be done ‘at least’ once every ten years and it must be done in accordance with the Voting Rights Act (VRA) but given that SCOTUS seems intent on gutting the VRA that is likely to become a nonissue. So, what is to prevent a state from routinely drawing its Congressional maps if AI makes the process easier (and easier to manipulate)? Nothing!
Uber already uses surge pricing based upon demand. Delta is using AI to set fares. Does anyone really think it is inconceivable for politicians to use AI in various nefarious ways to ‘legally’ rig elections? If it isn’t already here, I predict it ain’t too far off!
