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[–] Balrogic 0 points 2 points (+2|-0) ago  (edited ago)

I think the key would be ensuring that every last bit of it is out in the open, not one hidden character of code, no hardware tricks. Open to audits and inspections at any time by anyone. Fully transparent processes with zero secrets, actively generate data logs that allow ongoing analysis of what it's doing. Every single person wouldn't be able to understand it but several hundred thousand people would at the bare minimum... Including an extremely activist faction of the open source movement that would not stay quiet about the slightest irregularity. I think it would be most useful as a sort of advisor that's able to look at data, crunch all the numbers, process the factors and come up with recommendations that are firmly rooted in objective fact. We could start off by using it as a system to check the safety of new foods, medicines, analyze various problems with infrastructure, the environment... Then we take that information and use it to implement improvements in our systems in the most efficient manner possible.

Even that much, we'd suddenly have politically neutral data-driven analysis that can be independently verified by anyone that cares to do so. No social antics, no playing favorites. When someone tries to spin up a bunch of lies to smear the smart move we'll be able to objectively demonstrate the lie for what it is. I think we can do a great deal to neuter the mechanisms used to abuse us if we make smart use of technology, start taking human error out of the equation. Improve it bit by bit, expand the scope as our technological mastery grows. We have the means to fix a lot of the world's problems through our technology, we just lack the analytical capacity to deploy all of our technology in the right places for maximum effect. The interesting thing about that kind of open automated project is that it would allow absolutely anyone with the technical skills to participate see toward their own governance directly without having to filter through a bunch of politicians. We could even put communications infrastructure in place in order to let people give their feedback on various proposals through direct voting.

Unlike politicians, we could look through every little bit that makes it tick, see how it thinks and how it can be expected to behave. You'll never get that degree of honesty or political transparency with a political body. Openly verifiable trust.