Draft talk:Bio-technological Oppression

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Bio-Technological Oppression

Bio-Technological Oppression refers to a theoretical framework describing how technological elites, particularly those in artificial intelligence and biotechnology sectors, may use their concentrated power and resources to shape society according to their vision, potentially undermining democratic governance and human autonomy^[1]^[2]^[3]. The concept emerged from growing concerns about the influence of major technology companies and their leaders on social, economic, and political structures worldwide^[4]^[5]^[6].

Definition and Core Concepts

Bio-technological oppression describes the systematic use of advanced technologies such as artificial intelligence, automation, and neural interfaces by a small group of wealthy technologists to impose their preferred future on broader society^[7]^[8]^[9]. This phenomenon intersects with established concepts in political science including technocracy, where technical experts rather than elected officials make key decisions^[10]^[11], and technological determinism, which suggests that technology drives social change rather than being shaped by it^[12]^[13]^[14].

The term builds upon existing scholarship on how medical and technological systems can materialize oppression through embedded assumptions and power structures^[15]. Researchers have documented how AI systems already demonstrate these patterns, with corporate algorithms affecting everything from employment decisions to criminal justice outcomes^[16]^[17]^[18].

Characteristics and Mechanisms

Several key features characterize bio-technological oppression according to its proponents:

Technocratic Governance: A concentration of decision-making power among technology industry leaders who prioritize technical solutions over democratic processes^[19]^[20]^[21].

Corporate Concentration: The technology sector has experienced significant consolidation of wealth and power among a small number of companies and individuals^[22]^[23].

Algorithmic Control: The deployment of AI systems for governance and social management, often described as "algorithmic governance," where automated systems make decisions previously reserved for human judgment^[24]^[25]^[26].

Neural Interface Dependency: Concerns about the potential coercion of individuals to adopt brain-computer interfaces or other cybernetic enhancements to remain economically competitive^[27]^[28]^[29].

Technological Context

The concept draws attention to several technological developments that critics argue concentrate power among elites:

Artificial Intelligence Supremacy: While AI systems currently excel in narrow domains, researchers predict they may eventually surpass human capabilities across multiple areas^[30]^[31]^[32].

Automation and Labor Displacement: The increasing deployment of robotic systems in manufacturing and service industries—with global robot populations exceeding 4 million units and growing annually^[33]^[34].

Surveillance Infrastructure: The expansion of AI-powered surveillance systems globally, particularly in authoritarian contexts, demonstrates how these technologies can be used to suppress dissent and maintain control^[35]^[36].

Ethical and Democratic Concerns

Critics of bio-technological oppression raise several interconnected concerns:

Erosion of Democratic Governance: The concentration of technological power among unelected elites may undermine democratic decision-making processes^[37]^[38]^[39].

Economic Inequality: The benefits of advanced technologies may primarily flow to their owners and controllers, potentially exacerbating existing inequalities^[40]^[41]^[42].

Loss of Human Agency: Automated systems may reduce individual autonomy and choice, particularly in areas like employment, housing, and social services^[43]^[44]^[45].

Posthuman Hierarchies: Some critics worry about the emergence of enhanced or artificial beings that may be considered superior to unmodified humans^[46]^[47]^[48].

Academic and Critical Perspectives

The concept of bio-technological oppression intersects with several established academic fields:

Science and Technology Studies has long examined how technological systems embed social values and power relations^[49]^[50]^[51].

Critical Theory provides frameworks for understanding how technological systems can perpetuate existing forms of domination^[52]^[53].

Transhumanism Critique offers philosophical challenges to the assumption that technological enhancement necessarily benefits humanity^[54]^[55].

AI Ethics and Governance represents an emerging field addressing how to ensure AI systems serve human values and democratic principles^[56]^[57]^[58].

Contemporary Developments

Recent developments have brought increased attention to these concerns. The concentration of AI development among a small number of major technology companies has raised questions about democratic oversight^[59]^[60]. The emergence of increasingly sophisticated AI systems, combined with their control by private entities, has prompted calls for new governance frameworks^[61]^[62]^[63].

The concept has gained relevance amid discussions about the future of work, privacy rights, and technological sovereignty^[64]^[65]^[66]. As AI systems become more capable and pervasive, debates about their governance and social impact have intensified^[67]^[68]^[69].

References

[1] ttps://news.mit.edu/2023/how-ai-tocracy-emerges-0713

[2] ttps://nomadit.co.uk/conference/easst-4s2024/paper/84811

[3] ttps://www.investopedia.com/terms/t/technocracy.asp

[4] ttps://policy-practice.oxfam.org/resources/inequality-inc-how-corporate-power-divides-our-world-and-the-need-for-a-new-era-621583/

[5] ttps://www.twn.my/title2/resurgence/2023/355/econ1.htm

[6] ttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/future-elite-power-changes-global-influence-20241012-soonyi-choi-m2hrc

[7] ttps://news.mit.edu/2023/how-ai-tocracy-emerges-0713

[8] ttps://www.linkedin.com/pulse/stargate-project-artificial-intelligence-technocracy-coming-jacques-92qoe

[9] ttps://techpolicy.press/when-we-are-no-longer-needed-emerging-elites-tech-trillionaires-and-the-decline-of-democracy

[10] ttps://www.ebsco.com/research-starters/technology/technocracy

[11] ttps://corporatefinanceinstitute.com/resources/economics/technocracy/

[12] ttps://easysociology.com/sociology-of-technology/what-is-technological-determinism/

[13] ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_determinism

[14] ttps://ijels.com/upload_document/issue_files/1%20IJELS-MAR-2017-8-Technological%20determinism%20and%20new%20media.pdf

[15] ttps://www.research.ed.ac.uk/files/428943791/How_Medical_Technologies_Materialize_Oppression.pdf

[16] ttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20539517231219241

[17] ttps://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/10/ai-companies-algorithmic-governance/

[18] ttps://policyreview.info/concepts/algorithmic-governance

[19] ttps://news.mit.edu/2023/how-ai-tocracy-emerges-0713

[20] ttps://thebulletin.org/2024/06/how-ai-surveillance-threatens-democracy-everywhere/

[21] ttps://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-authoritarian-risks-of-ai-surveillance

[22] ttps://www.bu.edu/eci/files/2023/09/Corporate-Power-Module.pdf

[23] ttps://www.statista.com/statistics/741762/the-richest-people-in-the-us-tech-industry/

[24] ttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20539517231219241

[25] ttps://policyreview.info/concepts/algorithmic-governance

[26] ttps://unu.edu/article/algorithmic-problem-artificial-intelligence-governance

[27] ttps://www.captechu.edu/blog/neuralinks-brain-chip-how-it-works-and-what-it-means

[28] ttps://royalsociety.org/news-resources/projects/ihuman-perspective/

[29] ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brain_implant

[30] ttps://engineering.mit.edu/engage/ask-an-engineer/when-will-ai-be-smart-enough-to-outsmart-people/

[31] ttps://scienceexchange.caltech.edu/topics/artificial-intelligence-research/machines-more-intelligent-than-humans

[32] ttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8108480/

[33] ttps://drivesncontrols.com/global-robot-population-grows-by-10-to-exceed-4-million/

[34] ttps://ifr.org/ifr-press-releases/news/global-robot-density-in-factories-doubled-in-seven-years

[35] ttps://thebulletin.org/2024/06/how-ai-surveillance-threatens-democracy-everywhere/

[36] ttps://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-authoritarian-risks-of-ai-surveillance

[37] ttps://news.mit.edu/2023/how-ai-tocracy-emerges-0713

[38] ttps://techpolicy.press/ai-at-the-brink-preventing-the-subversion-of-democracy

[39] ttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11559535/

[40] ttps://www.bu.edu/eci/files/2023/09/Corporate-Power-Module.pdf

[41] ttps://unu.edu/article/algorithmic-problem-artificial-intelligence-governance

[42] ttps://www.oecd.org/en/publications/artificial-intelligence-and-wage-inequality_bf98a45c-en.html

[43] ttps://www.research.ed.ac.uk/files/428943791/How_Medical_Technologies_Materialize_Oppression.pdf

[44] ttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20539517231219241

[45] ttps://www.weforum.org/stories/2023/10/ai-companies-algorithmic-governance/

[46] ttps://www.posthumanart.com/post/de-constructing-the-psychology-of-post-humanism

[47] ttps://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q1L2NMiGvUU

[48] ttps://www.smith.edu/news-events/news/debate-over-transhumanism

[49] ttps://www.research.ed.ac.uk/files/428943791/How_Medical_Technologies_Materialize_Oppression.pdf

[50] ttps://easysociology.com/sociology-of-technology/what-is-technological-determinism/

[51] ttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Technological_determinism

[52] ttps://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/20539517231219241

[53] ttps://mitpress.mit.edu/9780262543347/technology-of-the-oppressed/

[54] ttps://www.posthumanart.com/post/de-constructing-the-psychology-of-post-humanism

[55] ttps://www.smith.edu/news-events/news/debate-over-transhumanism

[56] ttps://www.ibm.com/think/topics/ai-alignment

[57] ttps://www.ihrim.org/2021/09/opinion-ai-is-leading-humanity-toward-dystopia-by-roy-altman/

[58] ttps://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbremen/2024/01/31/ai-risk-and-governance-utopian-and-dystopian-views/

[59] ttps://news.mit.edu/2023/how-ai-tocracy-emerges-0713

[60] ttps://techpolicy.press/ai-at-the-brink-preventing-the-subversion-of-democracy

[61] ttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11559535/

[62] ttps://techpolicy.press/ai-at-the-brink-preventing-the-subversion-of-democracy

[63] ttps://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbremen/2024/01/31/ai-risk-and-governance-utopian-and-dystopian-views/

[64] ttps://techpolicy.press/when-we-are-no-longer-needed-emerging-elites-tech-trillionaires-and-the-decline-of-democracy

[65] ttps://thebulletin.org/2024/06/how-ai-surveillance-threatens-democracy-everywhere/

[66] ttps://www.lawfaremedia.org/article/the-authoritarian-risks-of-ai-surveillance

[67] ttps://www.ibm.com/think/topics/ai-alignment

[68] ttps://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11559535/

[69] ttps://www.forbes.com/sites/johnbremen/2024/01/31/ai-risk-and-governance-utopian-and-dystopian-views/

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