AI and Political Decisions: Fact vs. Fiction

Recent discussions about artificial intelligence (AI) have often centered on its capabilities, particularly its ability to make political decisions. This article aims to clarify the extent to which AI can indeed make political decisions, based on current knowledge and technological capabilities.

AI Can't Make Decisions Period

It is crucial to understand that AI, or more specifically, large language models (LLMs), do not possess the capability to make decisions. When people speak about AI making decisions, they are often referring to LLMs making statistical inferences, which is far from actual decision-making. LLMs can generate text that appears to be similar to the type of text they have been trained on, but this is merely a reflection of patterns within the data they have been trained on—and not genuine thought or decision-making.

For example, if an LLM has been trained on a large volume of political texts, it can generate answers that seem politically informed, but these are merely reflections of the preferences and biases found within the training data. There is no understanding, no genuine decision-making, only the automated construction of text.

AI Can Make Political Decisions Based on Data

While LLMs cannot make decisions themselves, they can indeed be manipulated to mimic certain behaviors or preferences, depending on the data they are trained on. This is a critical point. If an AI is trained to make conservative or liberal decisions, it will do so based on the patterns and probabilities it has learned from the data. Essentially, LLMs can process and interpret vast amounts of data, analyze trends, and predict outcomes. However, they do not truly make or implement decisions.

For instance, if a dataset consists predominantly of conservative political viewpoints, the LLM will reflect those viewpoints in its outputs. Similarly, a dataset that includes liberal viewpoints will influence the LLM’s responses. This is why experts in the field emphasize that the decisions made by AI are heavily influenced by the data feeding it: it’s akin to saying, “garbage in, garbage out.”

AI as a Decision-Making Tool

It is essential to recognize that AI is a tool that processes and organizes data, and it can be a powerful tool for decision-making. However, the final decision-making process remains within the realm of humans. AI can assist decision-makers by providing insights, analyzing data, and predicting outcomes. For example, AI can identify trends, predict likely political outcomes, and provide valuable information that can inform human decision-makers.

However, the ethical considerations, the final decision, and the moral responsibility remain with humans. AI is not a substitute for human judgment and ethical decision-making. It is an extension of human capabilities, but it does not possess the personal beliefs or values that humans do. Therefore, it cannot make political decisions in the way humans do, but it can certainly help in the decision-making process.

As a final point, it is worth noting that the authority to enact decisions—whether through AI or any other means—remains with human entities. The decisions made by AI can provide valuable information, but the actual implementation and enforcement of those decisions still require human oversight and decision-making.

In conclusion, while AI can reflect and predict political trends based on the data it has been trained on, it cannot make political decisions on its own. The final decisions and the ethical considerations surrounding these decisions remain under human control.