Authoritarian Future? Technology, Democracy, and the Struggle for Our Freedoms

Authoritarian Future? Technology, Democracy, and the Struggle for Our Freedoms

April 17, 2025

I am sitting in the lobby of the Renaissance Hotel. It is still early—no bustle, no chaos. In half an hour, the Caribbean Data Center Association conference will begin. As I wait quietly, my thoughts drift to-ward political leadership and the increasingly fragile balance between technology and democracy.

The image of President Bukele of El Salvador sitting next to President Trump lingers. To me, they symbolize the rise of what I see as authoritarian crypto presidents. El Salvador was the first country to adopt Bitcoin as legal tender, and Trump launched his own cryptocurrency. Both present themselves as strongmen, but their track records on human rights leave much to be desired. This troubling contrast between power and responsibility feels like a warning sign—a glimpse of the direction our world may be headed.

Then there was news from the United Arab Emirates, a non-democratic regime where AI is starting to play a direct role in legislation. Imagine a system fed 100,000 laws, capable of reviewing and updating them and generating and enforcing entirely new ones. What does that mean for the role of human judgment? What happens when algorithms, not people, shape the rules that govern us?

In the Netherlands, I recently heard a story about a talk show guest who instantly used AI to launch a new company. Reactions ranged from enthusiasm about efficiency and innovation to concern over job losses and the fallibility of such systems. Even Bill Gates has floated the idea of taxing robots—a proposal that might sound quirky, but actually touches on a much deeper issue: How do we govern and contain the growing power of technology?

At the core of my concern lies the intersection of technology and democracy. Our society is undergoing a profound transformation—one where tech increasingly takes the reins. Power and information are becoming concentrated in the hands of a shrinking elite. Big Tech and politics are merging. And so I wonder: Is privacy now a relic of the past? The devices around us increasingly determine what happens to our data—and, by extension, our lives.

Yes, technological progress is undeniable. It brings great promise. But it also threatens the foundations of our democratic society. So the question becomes: What do we do about it? How do we ensure technology remains a tool for freedom, not a weapon of control?

As the conference began, I realized the conversation about the future of AI, technology, and democracy was only starting. As citizens, professionals, and humans, it is up to us to stay critical and engaged, demand transparency, insist on accountability, and fight for a fair distribution of power in this digital age.

Which direction will we choose? The answers are not yet written. But one thing is clear: we must stay in the conversation and keep asking the question: How do we make technology our ally, not our master?

Miguel Goede