The Atlantic

The trappings of America’s democracy remain, but authoritarianism is hollowing out our humanity, George Packer argues. theatln.tc/TUSWF6WD

“We have in our heads specific images of authoritarianism that come from the 20th century: uniformed men goose-stepping in jackboots, masses of people chanting party slogans, streets lined with giant portraits of the leader,” Packer writes. But “authoritarianism in the 21st century looks different, because it is different.”

“Authoritarian regimes and their allies flood the internet and social media with such a tide of falsehoods, so much uncertainty about what is true, so much distrust in traditional sources of information, that the public throws up its hands and checks out,” Packer continues. “Unable to know the truth, we risk losing our liberty.”

To that end, Packer argues, “the greatest temptation and danger is to withdraw into some private world of your own and wait it out.”

The unforeseen damage that social media has caused democracy seems likely to be dwarfed by that of artificial intelligence, Packer adds. “Artificial intelligence promises to do what an authoritarian regime does: take our place. They’re two sides of the same coin—one political, the other technological—both forfeitures of human possibility. We’re surrendering our ability to act as free agents of a democracy at the same moment we’re building machines that take away our ability to think and feel.”

🎨: Liz Sanders. Souces: Graphica Artis / Getty; Herbert Ponting / Royal Geographical Society / Getty.

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