A-Infos (en) France, UCL AL #375 - Culture - Reading Rainer Mühloff: Artificial Intelligence & New Fascism (ca, de, fr, it, pt, tr)[machine translation]

This work attempts to demonstrate the political synergy between the "New 
Right" and "tech" elites. The text moves beyond mere profit-seeking 
opportunism to examine the long-term political seizure of power-achieved 
through a shift in, and appropriation of, state functions and governance 
infrastructures. Rainer Mühloff is a philosopher and mathematician who 
teaches ethics in Osnabrück, Germany. ---- The book explores the 
anti-democratic and anti-egalitarian trends inherent in this 
restructuring of power relations. Artificial Intelligence (AI) serves as 
the anchor and pivot point; while central to the current IT industry, it 
also drives a shift toward a new infrastructure for the exercise and 
functioning of state power.

Here, AI is analyzed as a moment in political discourse and as a driver 
of necessary infrastructural and political changes. These 
transformations and shifts draw upon and intersect with elements of a 
reconfigured fascist ideology. "This alliance is not merely about 
profit, but about a fundamental, ideologically driven project of social 
and civilizational domination achieved through the technological 
transformation of the State."

The author avoids defining this fascism solely as the specific 
historical era of Nazism; instead, he views it dynamically-as an 
ideology examined through discriminatory practices and behaviors enabled 
by the technological capabilities being deployed. Rainer Mühloff 
identifies three key areas involved in the construction of this fascism:

* anti-democratic actions that undermine the rule of law, the separation 
of powers, and fundamental rights, while influencing the processes by 
which majorities are formed. It involves a series of actions challenging 
the parliamentary and democratic order; * predispositions toward 
violence that spread hate speech, stoke ever-deepening social divisions, 
and propagate falsehoods to cement their credibility; * and finally, 
this violent, noxious rhetoric relies heavily on a technological 
infrastructure-a new instrument of power. "The distinguishing mark of 
fascism, compared to authoritarianism, lies in the appropriation and 
control of technology as an instrument of power. Fascism is a 
destructive force prepared to use technological and logistical means to 
secure the might and power required for its devastating political 
objectives."

Underlying this is a conviction: that technology is the best way to 
solve all social problems.

An essential book for understanding current power dynamics. It takes an 
approach that moves beyond questions of performance, capabilities, and 
the proven (or unproven) utility of AI-which is precisely why it 
resonates with libertarians. However, we might express reservations 
about accepting AI simply because it is already ubiquitous, and we might 
also critique the belief in the rule of law (via hypothetical, mythical 
regulation) as the primary democratic lever. Unfortunately, the book's 
conclusions do not quite live up to its introduction of the subject. 
Another criticism-both literary and political-concerns the use of 
concepts and neologisms that establish a power dynamic through language 
(longtermism, extropianism[1], techno-optimism, singularitarianism, 
transhumanism...). Such terminology obscures what is otherwise a 
pertinent argument and critique.

Dominique Sureau (UCL Angers)

https://www.unioncommunistelibertaire.org/?Lire-Rainer-Muhloff-Intelligence-artificielle-nouveau-fascisme
_________________________________________
A - I N F O S  N E W S  S E R V I C E
By, For, and About Anarchists
Send news reports to A-infos-en mailing list
A-infos-en@ainfos.ca
Subscribe/Unsubscribe https://ainfos.ca/mailman/listinfo/a-infos-en
Archive: http://ainfos.ca/en