Gradual disempowerment
Harmful reinforcing loop · 4 steps · Trace on the map →
The cycle
- AI replaces human labourCognitive abundance
- Institutions need people less
- Human influence shrinksHuman influence preserved
- Decisions favour more automationChoosing the objective
What drives it
A reinforcing loop that runs against people: each round of automation weakens the leverage that could steer the next one.
What breaks it
Kulveit et al. describe the erosion as incremental, which makes it hard to see from any single step.
What to watch
Labour share of income. How far public institutions still depend on public consent.