I OCCASIONALLY read cryptocurrency news, and one of the most interesting news items to come out from that community is the idea of creating automated market and financial institutions. The goal is to create a functioning financial system without a center or hierarchical control. Instead, the whole system will be regulated by an algorithm that evolves according to the will and preferences of those who participate in the economy.
However, crypto-proponents and enthusiasts want to take things one step further. If you can create an automated financial system, why not create an automated corporation or even an automated government?
As we prepare ourselves for Election Day, it’s fitting that we think about the latter. What would an automated government look like? Are we going to be governed by some AI or faceless algorithm, or will it be something completely novel and unprecedented? I don’t know nor will I speculate about what form it will take if it will indeed happen.
What is true, however, is that automation is already here and it’s spreading rapidly in many developed areas of society. Indeed, we can already see glimpses of an automated society in our everyday lives. Think about how you interact with the internet and the types of content that you consume. Think about the video suggestions you get on YouTube or the way you use social media. Think about the apps on your phone. These are automated in one form or another.
Automation exists because it makes work easier, and if government is work then it can be made easier with automation. This is the idea proposed by many techno-futurists. As far as they’re concerned, it’s all about efficiency, input and networks. And if you were to look at government as just another algorithm, and society as just another blockchain network then it’s easy to reach the conclusion that government can be automated.
Which brings us to the big question in all of this: Will an automated government lead to a more egalitarian society? The most likely answer is no. An automated government will most likely be more efficient and more functional what we have now, and efficiency and functionality are almost never egalitarian. Moreover, it’s worth remembering that automation is still just a tool and like all tools, it will be seized by those who have the means and the ambitions to do so./PN
