The ongoing development and implementation of artificial intelligence (AI) is already having a profound impact on the economy, society and culture. However, in addition to the undeniable benefits, there are also considerable risks and side effects that deserve critical consideration1.
Data as a raw material and theft of intellectual property
The training process for AI models is largely based on analyzing huge amounts of data collected from the internet. Texts, images, music, videos – this content often comes from creatives whose works are used without explicit consent. The boundaries between fair use of data and theft of intellectual property are often blurred.2
The commercialisation of AI
The companies that develop these models are also the ones that are now making them available as paid services. The promise is: ‘Adapt to the new age of AI or be left behind.’ This cycle is reminiscent of previous times, in which users were first lured and then tied to proprietary systems.
The reign of a few tech giants
The development of powerful AI is complex and expensive. Only a few companies have the resources to manage the necessary computing power and amount of data. This leads to an oligopolisation of the market: a small circle of players controls the foundations of the AI infrastructure, while the rest of the world is dependent on using their services.
Control, ethics and governance
A major unresolved problem is the question of how AI systems can be regulated, controlled and managed in an ethically responsible manner. Who determines the ethical guidelines? Who checks whether AI decisions are fair, non-discriminatory and in the interests of society? National governments are already competing with global corporations, which often enforce their own rules and exploit data for their own benefit3.
This challenge will become even more complex with the spread of interdependent AI-Agents.
The illusion of limitless progress
The dominant narrative is that AI development is essential to guarantee ‘progress’. More data, fewer restrictions, better computing power – this is supposed to create an optimised society. But who really benefits from this? And at whose expense is this progress happening? If AI primarily cements the wealth and power of a few players, the question remains as to whether this progress is in the interests of the common good.
Conclusion: time for a new debate
AI is a transformative technology with great potential – both in a positive and negative sense. It is time to focus the discourse on AI not only on efficiency and productivity, but also on social responsibility, ethical framework conditions and the fair distribution of benefits. This is the only way to ensure that AI does not become a tool of control and exploitation, but is used for the benefit of all.
- Jan Kulveit and others, ‘Gradual Disempowerment: Systemic Existential Risks from Incremental AI Development’ (2025) https://gradual-disempowerment.ai/misaligned-economy accessed 11 March 2025 ↩︎
- Lutes, Brent A. and others, ‘Identifying the Economic Implications of Artificial Intelligence for Copyright Policy: Context and Direction for Economic Research‘, U.S. Copyright Office, 2025.https://www.copyright.gov/economic-research/economic-implications-of-ai/Identifying-the-Economic-Implications-of-Artificial-Intelligence-for-Copyright-Policy-FINAL.pdf ↩︎
- Philipp Hacker and others ‘Introduction to the Foundations and Regulation of Generative AI’ (2025) https://arxiv.org/abs/2501.16946 accessed 11 March 2025 ↩︎