Jill Lepore questions whether humanity should invite robots into its power structures

Jill Lepore, a Harvard historian, has published a piece expressing alarm over the growing presence of artificial intelligence in the corridors of power. She points out that leading figures in Silicon Valley are positioning AI systems to guide critical decisions that affect society at large. Lepore reconstructs the historical ideas that inform her skepticism, emphasizing the risk of ceding control to algorithmic entities.

She asks whether citizens truly desire a future where robots help dictate policy outcomes. The commentary calls for a public debate on the limits of AI’s role in governance and the preservation of democratic oversight.