Key facts
- Science fiction writer Daniel Suarez warns AI and autonomous systems could imperil democracy.
- Suarez's 2012 novel "Kill Decision" explored autonomous killer drones.
- He stated that bots already influence lives through trading, credit ratings, and insurance decisions.
- Mobile phone data can predict individual movements with 93% accuracy, according to a study.
- Suarez's fictional "Daemon" network could create money and exploit personal data.
Science fiction writer Daniel Suarez, author of "Kill Decision," "Daemon," and "Freedom," is warning that artificial intelligence and autonomous systems pose a significant threat to democracy. Suarez, who has a background in programming, argues that the groundwork for a future controlled by malicious software is already being laid by technology companies. He highlighted how bots already influence daily life through high-frequency trading, credit scoring, and insurance decisions, and how vast amounts of personal data collected by mobile phones can be used to predict behavior with high accuracy. Suarez's fictional scenarios, such as the "Daemon" network, illustrate how such technologies could be weaponized to create money, exploit personal information, and even dismantle civilization.