The Risks of Government by AI: How Corruption, Corporatization & AI are Eroding Democracy

On the day President Trump took office, he revoked the Biden administration’s executive order that imposed guardrails on developing and using artificial intelligence technology.

At a major AI summit that followed, Vice President JD Vance announced that the administration would “make every effort to encourage pro-growth AI policies,” and urged other governments to roll back “excessive regulation.” At the same time, Elon Musk and his Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have pushed to automate critical agency functions, in service of an “AI-first” vision of governance.

Embedded within the controversies over these moves are concerns about the rapid introduction of AI across the federal government, from chatbots to automated defense systems.

Are these fears well-founded?

Will the adoption of AI truly benefit Americans?

What are the risks to privacy and democratic governance?

How can we trust this process given tech billionaires’ unprecedented role in the new administration?

And what might come next?

Join the Brennan Center on Wednesday, April 2 at noon PT for a discussion with a leading technology journalist, former government AI leaders, and Brennan Center experts. They will offer perspectives on how to make sense of what the administration is doing and how to hold them accountable to democratic norms and values.

Speakers:

Vittoria Elliott, Platforms and Power Reporter, Wired

Faiza Patel, Senior Director, Brennan Center Liberty and National Security Program

Suresh Venkatasubramanian, Professor of Data Science and Computer Science, Brown University

Moderator: Kareem Crayton, Vice President for Washington, DC, Brennan Center