Article Dans Une Revue Moral Philosophy and Politics Année : 2025

Rousseau’s “General Will” and AI: A Framework for Democratic Governance in the Era of Big Tech

Résumé

Abstract This paper critically analyzes the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on Jean-Jacques Rousseau’s concept of the general will (GW), proposing a practical, three-dimensional approach to address the challenges posed by these technologies to democratic governance. The current dominance of automated systems controlled by a few digital giants (“Big Tech”) threatens to undermine collective and democratic decision-making. Building on Rousseau’s notion of the general will as a collective and sovereign expression of the common good, I identify four ways AI erodes the GW: (1) the privatization of the public debate; (2) the individualization of practices; (3) the erosion of personal and collective will; (4) the risk of technological despotism. I then discuss possible pathways to address these challenges and recover the sense of the GW. First, education and mediatization of AI issues would enable the (re)formation of the GW. Then, public participation platforms could allow its expression. Finally, coming back to Rousseau, I call for a renewal of the terms of the social contract through public participation in AI choices. By linking Rousseau’s democratic ideals with modern challenges, the paper presents actionable pathways to align AI technologies with democratic principles and collective representation.

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hal-05157778 , version 1 (14-07-2025)

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Adrien Tallent. Rousseau’s “General Will” and AI: A Framework for Democratic Governance in the Era of Big Tech. Moral Philosophy and Politics, 2025, ⟨10.1515/mopp-2024-0062⟩. ⟨hal-05157778⟩
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