In an era where technology is rapidly transforming society, the implications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are becoming increasingly critical. Tom Valovic explores how AI is not only being embraced to extend surveillance capabilities but also shaping the narrative around facts and theories, determining what is accepted as valid information.
By Tom Valovic, a writer, editor, futurist, and author of Digital Mythologies (Rutgers University Press), a series of essays tackling the emerging social and cultural issues brought on by the Internet. Valovic has served as a consultant for the former Congressional Office of Technology Assessment and has been the long-time editor-in-chief of Telecommunications magazine. He has contributed to numerous publications including Common Dreams, Counterpunch, The Technoskeptic, the Boston Globe, and others. Contact him at jazzbird@outlook.com. Originally published at Common Dreams
In the early days of his presidency, Donald Trump unveiled an ambitious AI infrastructure initiative known as Stargate. This announcement caught many off guard, as it marked the administration’s first considerable undertaking. What has become increasingly clear is that Stargate is part of a well-orchestrated collaboration between the federal government and the Big Tech powers that significantly influence governmental policies as the United States shifts towards a fully technocratic system.
Stargate represents a staggering $500 billion public-private partnership aimed at accelerating AI deployment. It involves technology giants such as OpenAI, Microsoft, Nvidia, and Oracle, and essentially signifies a concerted effort to establish AI data centers across every state in America. Although the public has largely forgotten about Stargate, the initiative has influenced ongoing debates regarding data centers that fill headlines almost daily.
On the surface, Stargate aspires to position the United States as a global leader in AI innovation, particularly as it strives to compete with China. However, it is notable that OpenAI characterized the initiative post-announcement as serving not only economic interests but also as a strategic tool for national security. In simpler terms, this translates to military applications and safeguarding against cyber threats.
During the press conference for the project, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison casually remarked: “Every police officer is going to be supervised at all times, and if there’s a problem, AI will report that issue and notify the relevant authorities. Citizens will regulate their behavior since we are continuously recording and reporting everything that happens.”
What’s even more surprising is that this overt intention to escalate mass surveillance received scant attention from reporters and editors in corporate media. At an Oracle financial analyst meeting, Ellison expressed that AI would process extensive amounts of footage from cameras, including dashboard images, home security systems, and Flock cameras. Amid this landscape, several states are busy implementing the contentious Flock devices to satisfy the growing demand for data. The encouraging news is that, according to both the American Civil Liberties Union and mainstream outlets, there has been significant public resistance against the deployment of Flock cameras, despite widespread unawareness of the full implications of the Trump-Ellison vision of an extensive digital surveillance system.
States Collaborating with Trump’s Initiative
The nature of the Stargate initiative suggests an authoritarian agenda. This extensive framework, born from an unlikely partnership between the federal government and Big Tech—the public-private partnership taken to an extreme—clashes with our fundamental democratic principles. While one might attribute this primarily to the Republican-controlled Congress, it’s essential to recognize that the implications stretch deeper, involving the complicity of Democrats as well.
Take Massachusetts, for example, a predominantly blue state. Democratic Governor Maura Healey has formed partnerships with major tech companies, including the AI leaders Google and OpenAI. In February 2026, she announced a collaboration with these companies, aimed at providing AI resources to all Massachusetts residents for free. In an official statement, she noted that this initiative seeks to empower every resident and small business with essential AI and tech competencies needed to thrive in today’s digital economy. Around the same time, Healey also launched an initiative using OpenAI’s ChatGPT, marking Massachusetts as the first state to implement AI throughout its executive branch of around 40,000 employees.
However, embracing AI entails developing the necessary infrastructure. AI data centers are proliferating across numerous states, often without proper oversight due to undemocratic non-disclosure agreements that shield their development plans from the scrutiny of the communities that will host them. These data centers consume critical public resources, such as electricity and water, potentially driving up costs for residents. This issue touches both red and blue states alike.
AI’s Gradual Shift Towards an Authoritarian Mentality
While Stargate and the data center debate present a clear aspect of authoritarian danger, a subtler threat looms larger. The phrase “a single source of truth” has gained traction among tech circles in recent years. While it may seem appealing in a world that grows increasingly complex, this concept sets the stage for a more nuanced authoritarian mindset. The rapid proliferation of AI fosters an environment where this simplistic notion is being widely accepted, even within academic and professional fields.
The assumption that AI will vastly broaden our scope of knowledge is widespread, yet the reality may reveal a stark contrast. This raises a thought-provoking question: How could this occur? Allow me to explain. Presently, AI appears to seize control of the vast array of facts, opinions, and insights that comprise human knowledge across diverse disciplines. The real threat lies in the gradual conditioning of society to accept a singular “correct” answer to every possible question or dilemma in politics, science, religion, philosophy, and various other aspects of contemporary life.
While AI claims to be a gateway to a wealth of previously inaccessible knowledge, one of its most troubling features is largely overlooked. AI is designed to function not merely as a conduit to the internet but also as a gatekeeper, determining what is deemed true and false. Alarmingly, it does not enhance the internet; instead, it is beginning to supplant it. This shift heralds a future where AI agents, rather than humans, primarily engage in web searches. At Google’s annual I/O developer conference in May 2026, CEO Sundar Pichai confirmed a significant strategic change. As reported by Sarah Perez in TechCrunch, “links will become an afterthought under the upcoming search results experience.” Thus, we are saying farewell to search as we know it.
Behind the curtain, the formidable power of this new form of information manipulation remains largely unseen, influencing every facet of our existence. This scenario allows Big Tech to disavow accountability: “We merely created it; now it operates independently.” All the while, they profit immensely and subsequently charge businesses and average internet users increasing fees for AI services originally offered free.
AI is poised to deepen our dependence on technology exponentially, severely undermining our collective sense of agency—an essential quality needed to counter the daily tumult and political impasses we face. Over time, this dependency could foster a sense of “learned helplessness” that weakens grassroots political power. Society risks becoming entrenched in rigid hierarchies based on AI status. As poet and political commentator Katha Pollitt has noted, AI also threatens to diminish “language, imagination, individuality, and art.”
It’s a daunting picture, yet reasons for optimism are emerging on the horizon. The technocratic takeover is increasingly being recognized for what it is: an anti-democratic power grab that is informed by a distorted perception of quality of life (i.e., Silicon Valley’s vision of transhumanism) and an aggressive iteration of hyper capitalism, which has already wreaked havoc on our planet’s ecosystem.
The backlash against AI data centers serves as a wakeup call. The grip of Big Tech elites extends into every facet of our lives—from overseeing our privacy to promoting a form of AI-driven militarism on the global stage. Nevertheless, the coming months, including the midterm elections, represent a pivotal moment to resist the AI juggernaut. The ongoing national pushback against AI data centers and the rejection of the failed application of computers in education may signify the dawn of a renewed commitment to democracy and practicality. Stay tuned.
