[mindslight]

The main thing that makes this a wacky conspiracy theory is this personification of intent: "allow me to try to succinctly state my thesis here: the U.S. government is engaging in an artificial intelligence powered gaslighting of the entire world population."

Maybe that's how most people need to understand things (eg "God"), but it's also a straw man (cf claiming the Twin Towers were actively brought down by explosives, rather than simply stopping at the largest beneficiary being the military industrial complex).

Most of the qualitative trends he describes are happening. But the straightforward explanation is that many different entities are trying their hands at such things. And as is common for "AI", there are likely to be many Mechanical Turks.

And so addressing the substance, which I feel is also being covered in very mainstream channels: yes, we are in post-reality. The virtual world increasingly defines the real world. Does anybody not feel that the mess of Covid disinformation is being driven by willful actors, whether for self-interested "engagement" ior actively malevolent propaganda? That disinformation is driving a lot of people to make self-harming choices in the real world. The Covid-21 pandemic is of digital origin.

In the post-reality landscape, your own reasoning ability is paramount. Conspiracy theories that ascribe complex phenomenon to single actors are yet another memetic pitfall to be avoided. See the truth in where they're coming from, but don't drink the Kool Aid.

[Lammy]

> (cf claiming the Twin Towers were actively brought down by explosives, rather than simply stopping at the largest beneficiary being the military industrial complex)

It is impossible to know, but i can't help but think about how all the post-9/11 surveillance of everyday communications would be exactly the perfect data source for training silicon lifeforms* to argue for you online.

[*] "Artificial" Intelligence reads like a slur to me so I avoid saying it. Feel free to think this is silly :)