Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

AI leaves us no choice but to learn from the past

computer circuitry
Jonathan Kitchen/Getty Images

Frazier is an assistant professor at the Crump College of Law at St. Thomas University. He previously clerked for the Montana Supreme Court.

Generations from now, historians will wonder why we choose to leave certain communities behind while allowing technology to race ahead. They’ll point out that we had plenty of examples to learn from — and, yet, prioritized “progress” over people.

The lessons we could have learned are tragically obvious. In the 1850s and ’60s, the telegraph took off and people assumed it would serve a great civic purpose. Instead, Western Union captured the market, jacked up the message rates and restricted the use of this powerful technology to the already powerful. Next, in the 1990s and 2000s, the internet inspired us all to dream of a more connected future. Instead, a digital divide has formed – leaving certain communities and individuals without meaningful access to an increasingly essential technology. Others surely could list other similar examples.


Clear steps could have mitigated those outcomes. Generations of postmasters general called for increasing access to the telegraph network; Congress said it was too expensive. Likewise, for decades advocates have been calling on the government to invest in the infrastructure necessary to bring reliable, high-speed internet to every home; again, equal access to opportunity was deemed too costly.

So far, the introduction of artificial intelligence seems to fit this pattern: Despite it having the potential to benefit billions, it’s been harnessed by those already benefiting from the last technological advance. And, while it’s true that some AI use cases may have tremendous benefits for all, those benefits seem likely to first go to those already financially secure and technologically savvy.

Reversing the historical trend of technological progress causing inequality to expand and become more entrenched isn’t going to be cheap but it’s imperative if we want AI to live up to its potential.

First things first, we have to make sure all Americans have access to the Internet. COVID-19 reminded us of the digital divide and, for a brief moment, led to massive government spending that helped increase access to educational, cultural and professional opportunities. That funding appears to be going the way of the dodo bird. President Joe Biden ought to insist on internet access being a core part of our national AI strategy. Absent making access a priority, we’re bound to repeat a problematic past.

Second, the government should — at a minimum — nudge and — more appropriately — subsidize the development of AI models specifically addressing the needs and challenges facing communities that have traditionally been on the losing end of similar advances.

Third, AI labs should release annual societal impact statements. Such reports would give policymakers and the public a chance to evaluate whether the pros of AI advances really outweigh the cons.

All of this will cost money, require time and (likely) delay the rate of AI development and deployment. Nevertheless, it's an investment in our community and our collective potential. If any of the three steps above were pursued, my hunch is that history will celebrate a shift in our priorities from profit and “progress” to people and patience.

What’s clear is that we cannot afford to stick with the traditional playbook. Technology must always be viewed as a tool — one we can deploy, delay and ... gasp ... decide to forgo. That’s right — AI is not the solution to everything and AI should not be allowed to upend every aspect of our individual and collective affairs.

Learning from the past is dang hard. But there’s still time for us to redirect the future by reorienting our approach to AI in the present. For too long certain Americans have been digitally forgotten; AI has given us a chance to remind ourselves of the importance of aligning technology with the public interest.

Read More

They’re calling her an influencer. She’s calling it campaign strategy.

Deja Foxx poses for a portrait at her home in Tucson, Arizona, on June 21, 2025. 

Courtney Pedroza for The 19th

They’re calling her an influencer. She’s calling it campaign strategy.

TUCSON, ARIZ. — On a Saturday afternoon, Deja Foxx is staging a TikTok Live in her living room. A phone tripod is set up in front of her kitchen table. The frame is centered on a slouchy sofa against an adobe wall, where a chile ristra hangs on one side.

“All right, everybody, take your seats,” she tells the mix of young volunteers, family members and campaign staff who are gathered to help her. “You have some really great mail to open, and I’m so excited because usually it’s just me and my mom that do this.”

Keep ReadingShow less
Ten Things the Future Will Say We Got Wrong About AI

A team of

Getty Images, Dragos Condrea

Ten Things the Future Will Say We Got Wrong About AI

As we look back on 1776 after this July 4th holiday, it's a good opportunity to skip forward and predict what our forebears will think of us. When our descendants assess our policies, ideas, and culture, what will they see? What errors, born of myopia, inertia, or misplaced priorities, will they lay at our feet regarding today's revolutionary technology—artificial intelligence? From their vantage point, with AI's potential and perils laid bare, their evaluation will likely determine that we got at least ten things wrong.

One glaring failure will be our delay in embracing obviously superior AI-driven technologies like autonomous vehicles (AVs). Despite the clear safety benefits—tens of thousands of lives saved annually, reduced congestion, enhanced accessibility—we allowed a patchwork of outdated regulations, public apprehension, and corporate squabbling to keep these life-saving machines largely off our roads. The future will see our hesitation as a moral and economic misstep, favoring human error over demonstrated algorithmic superiority.

Keep ReadingShow less
I Fought To Keep VOA Independent. Now It’s Gone.

A Voice of America sign is displayed outside of their headquarters at the Wilbur J. Cohen Federal Building on June 17, 2025 in Washington, DC.

(Photo by Kevin Carter/Getty Images)

I Fought To Keep VOA Independent. Now It’s Gone.

The Trump administration has accomplished something that Hitler, Stalin, Mao, and other dictators desired. It destroyed the Voice of America.

Until mid-March, VOA had been on the air continuously for 83 years. Starting in 1942 with shortwave broadcasts in German to counter Nazi propaganda, America’s external voice had expanded to nearly 50 languages, with a weekly combined audience of more than 350 million people worldwide, watching on TV, listening on radio, with a weekly combined audience of more than 350 million people around the world watching on TV, listening on radio or viewing its content online or through social media apps.

Keep ReadingShow less
Just the Facts: Digital Services Tax
people sitting down near table with assorted laptop computers
Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

Just the Facts: Digital Services Tax

President Donald Trump said on Friday that he has ended trade talks with Canada and will soon announce a new tariff rate for that country, as stated in a Truth Social post.

The decision to end the months-long negotiations came after Canada announced a digital service tax (DST) that Trump called “a direct and blatant attack on our Country.”

Keep ReadingShow less