Can AI Save Democracy?
From Militant Democracy to Cyberocracy
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12797/Politeja.23.2026.102.18Keywords:
AI and democracy, militant democracy, democratic theory, technology and democracyAbstract
We are currently struggling with two transforming phenomena. On the one hand, we are witnessing an unprecedented in the history of mankind acceleration of the amount of data we have and the corresponding ability to collect and analyse it. On the other hand, we are witnessing a constant struggle to make democracy as good as possible – regardless of how such a normative goal is defined. Among many available solutions, the paper concerns two examples. The first is militant democracy, one of the more traditional attempts at saving democracy. Acknowledging its critical challenges, the other solution that is gaining momentum nowadays is discussed: Artificial Intelligence, which is conceptualized here as cyberocracy. What results is the contention that the discrepancy between technology opportunities and the public’s frustration with democratic politics calls for consideration since it may constitute a basis for mapping out some viable options to reinvigorate democratic systems. Through referring to theory of democracy, sample AI democracy-addressed innovations are related to five dimensions: electoral, liberal, participatory, deliberative, and egalitarian. Such conceptual assessment of AI exemplar technologies designed for diverse forms of engagement in democratic governance offers a conceptual mapping of technologies aligned with democratic principles and allows to move beyond the dominant dystopian approach to the topic.
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