United digital front

A transparent and open internet is visionary, but impractical in today's geopolitical climate

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The past decade has also witnessed the proliferation of social media platforms and generative AI technologies, with Instagram and ChatGPT consuming the majority of our screentime.

Many associate the rise in unfavourable elements with the infiltration of digital technologies. However, Clegg states that "correlation is not causation". While that may be true, completely disregarding the multitude of data and findings on how tech companies are garnering a bigger say in the running of nations comes off a tad naive.

Part II of the book explores the massive power shift because of AI. The infrastructure, the data, and the energy required for computing behind AI are increasingly concentrated in the hands of a few large tech firms and/or powerful states. This creates both enormous opportunity (innovation, productivity, access), and risk (surveillance, manipulation, digital sovereignty). The power paradox, as per Clegg, is that the tools that could democratise knowledge and empower many may also centralise power more than ever, thereby reinforcing digital divides and geopolitical splits.