Read on Twitter
A theory: right wing politics isn’t really politics- it’s a shell of presentation with nothing at its core- pure self preservation and promotion with no actual memetic ‘cargo’. 1/some
It tends to flourish when a media landscape has suddenly radically changed- the vehicles of memetic transmission mutate rapidly in the absence of societal protections against rampant infection. 2/some
The landscape is made more vulnerable when economics exacerbate feeling of loss or threatened loss, so setting up ‘otherness’ - an easy target for us and them polarisation. 3/some
I studied AI some years ago and I think the current existential threat it poses sits squarely at the intersection of politics and social media. Cambridge Analytica was baby steps. 4/some
A party will emerge, a body, utterly based on AI, utterly focussed upon memetic propagation, and it will succeed. It’s policies will be utterly subservient to its preservation. And they will be savage, vile, inhumane, and very very popular. 5/some
If you work in or use social media be aware of this. Establish norms of kindness, empathy, tolerance, and beware of a tyrant of free speech without consequences. Work to institutionalise such norms. Understand the social space you inhabit, and protect it from extremism. 6/some
You may be the first last and only line of defence against the AI memetic flood. Goodnight and good luck. 7/ends. (With thanks to the works of @danieldennett
