Democracy's survival has depended on the development of information technologies; without them, large-scale democratic conversations falter, leading to authoritarianism. Historical democracies thrived in small settings like Rome or Athens, unable to scale up effectively as societies grew.
The democratic conversation is crumbling globally, with political factions unable to agree on basic facts, evident in the United States post-2020 election. A similar trend is observable in various countries, indicating a worldwide crisis in democratic dialogue.
Initial promises of internet and social media as tools for liberty have backfired. Despite having advanced technology at our fingertips, we're facing deteriorating communication skills and a loss of genuine listening, creating a barrier to effective democratic engagement.
The shift from a battle for attention to a battle for intimacy, especially with the rise of generative AI, changes the landscape of communication. New technologies not only generate content but also interact as if they were human, complicating our dialogues.
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