Michal Malý and Asker Bryld Staunæs argue that synthetic dissidents mark a new form of opposition politics. In authoritarian regimes, AI avatars and chatbots can propagate risky speech without exposing a single, identifiable speaker. This can protect journalists and activists, but it also changes how responsibility, authenticity and repression work
The Dead Internet Theory, once dismissed as 'paranoid fantasy', now offers a disturbingly useful framework for understanding digital politics. Mimi Mihăilescu argues that the theory's growing credibility masks deeper questions about whether we're overestimating AI's political power while underestimating our willingness to accept technological determinism
We need to break democracy out of the disciplinary boundaries of political studies. A fresh, multidisciplinary approach to reimagining democracy, argues Mouli Banerjee, could be the antidote to the global democratic anxiety we are facing
Albania has appointed an AI minister for public procurement. But Vera Tika argues that while 'Diella' embodies gendered symbolism and digital modernity, her appointment exposes a gap between European aspiration and democratic accountability
A new book by this series’ founder introduced the radical idea of a yet-to-exist theoretician who can access and condense immense amounts of information. Rishiraj Sen looks at the advantages and pitfalls of this concept, arguing that the ‘Fourth Theorist’ risks becoming an authoritarian figure, undemocratic in their theorisation of democracy
The view that DeepSeek is a tool of Chinese censorship is, Ruairidh Brown argues, mistaken. The AI is not censoring but self-censoring, a crucial distinction for understanding its role in shaping political norms
As the US and China unveil rival AI governance blueprints, Elif Davutoğlu explores how these policy visions reflect deeper geopolitical strategies. Framed as calls for innovation or cooperation, both documents signal a global legitimacy race in which AI governance becomes a battleground for shaping the future international order
Nuclear weapons may no longer be credible deterrents in an era of hypersonic missiles and AI-driven warfare. Tom Sauer suggests that modern conventional weapons could ultimately replace nuclear arsenals, reshaping global security without risking nuclear annihilation
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