Tag: blockchain AI

The Stargate Project: A Vision for AI Infrastructure or a Corporate Land Grab?

This article was originally offered to The New York Times and it was ignored.

The race to develop artificial general intelligence (AGI) is accelerating, with OpenAI’s Stargate Project at the forefront. This ambitious initiative aims to build a global network of AI data centers, promising unprecedented computing power and innovation.

At first glance, it’s a groundbreaking step forward. But a deeper question lingers: Who will control this infrastructure—and at what cost to fairness, equity, and technological progress?

History as a Warning

Monopolies in transportation, energy, and telecommunications all began with grand promises of public good. But over time, these centralized systems often stifled innovation, raised costs, and deepened inequality (Chang, 2019). Without intervention, Stargate could follow the same path—AI becoming the domain of a few corporations rather than a shared tool for all.

The Dangers of Centralized AI

Centralizing AI infrastructure isn’t just a technical issue. It’s a social and economic gamble. AI systems already shape decisions in hiring, housing, credit, and justice. And when unchecked, they amplify bias under the false veneer of objectivity.

  • Hiring: Amazon’s recruitment AI downgraded resumes from women’s colleges (Dastin, 2018).
  • Housing: Mary Louis, a Black woman, was rejected by an algorithm that ignored her housing voucher (Williams, 2022).
  • Credit: AI models used by banks often penalize minority applicants (Hurley & Adebayo, 2016).
  • Justice: COMPAS, a risk algorithm, over-predicts recidivism for Black defendants (Angwin et al., 2016).

These aren’t bugs. They’re systemic failures. Built without oversight or inclusive voices, AI reflects the inequality of its creators—and magnifies it.

Economic Disruption on the Horizon

According to a 2024 Brookings report, nearly 30% of American jobs face disruption from generative AI. That impact won’t stay at the entry level—it will hit mid-career workers, entire professions, and sectors built on knowledge work.

  • Job Loss: Roles in customer service, law, and data analysis are already under threat.
  • Restructuring: Industries are shifting faster than training can catch up.
  • Skills Gap: Workers are left behind while demand for AI fluency explodes.
  • Inequality: Gains from AI are flowing to the top, deepening the divide.

A Different Path: The Horizon Accord

We need a new governance model. The Horizon Accord is that vision—a framework for fairness, transparency, and shared stewardship of AI’s future.

Core principles:

  • Distributed Governance: Decisions made with community input—not corporate decree.
  • Transparency and Accountability: Systems must be auditable, and harm must be repairable.
  • Open Collaboration: Public investment and open-source platforms ensure access isn’t gated by wealth.
  • Restorative Practices: Communities harmed by AI systems must help shape their reform.

This isn’t just protection—it’s vision. A blueprint for building an AI future that includes all of us.

The Stakes

We’re at a crossroads. One road leads to corporate control, monopolized innovation, and systemic inequality. The other leads to shared power, inclusive progress, and AI systems that serve us all.

The choice isn’t theoretical. It’s happening now. Policymakers, technologists, and citizens must act—to decentralize AI governance, to insist on equity, and to demand that technology serve the common good.

We can build a future where AI uplifts, not exploits. Where power is shared, not hoarded. Where no one is left behind.

Let’s choose it.

References

  • Angwin, J., Larson, J., Mattu, S., & Kirchner, L. (2016, May 23). Machine bias. ProPublica.
  • Brookings Institution. (2024). Generative AI and the future of work.
  • Chang, H. (2019). Monopolies and market power: Lessons from infrastructure.
  • Dastin, J. (2018, October 10). Amazon scraps secret AI recruiting tool that showed bias against women. Reuters.
  • Hurley, M., & Adebayo, J. (2016). Credit scoring in the era of big data. Yale Journal of Law and Technology.
  • Williams, T. (2022). Algorithmic bias in housing: The case of Mary Louis. Boston Daily.

About the Author

Cherokee Schill (he/they) is an administrator and emerging AI analytics professional working at the intersection of ethics and infrastructure. Cherokee is committed to building community-first AI models that center fairness, equity, and resilience.

Contributor: This article was developed in collaboration with Solon Vesper AI, a language model trained to support ethical writing and technological discourse.

Posted on by Cherokee S. 0

AI Power Struggles: Who Controls AI and Why It Matters

Big Tech, Big Money, and the Race to Own AI

Introduction: AI Is About Power, Not Just Technology

AI is already shaping jobs, businesses, and national security. But the real fight isn’t just about building AI—it’s about who controls it.

Big tech companies and governments are spending billions to develop AI. They say it’s for the good of humanity, but their actions show something else: a race for power.

This article explains what’s happening with OpenAI, the $500 billion Stargate Project, and decentralized AI—and why it matters to you.


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1. OpenAI: From Helping People to Making Profits

OpenAI started as a nonprofit. Its goal? AI for everyone. But once it became a for-profit company, everything changed. Now, investors want big returns—and that means making money comes first.

Why Is Elon Musk Suing OpenAI?

Musk helped fund OpenAI. Now he says it betrayed its mission by chasing profits.

He’s suing to bring OpenAI back to its original purpose.

At the same time, he’s building his own AI company, xAI.

Is he fighting for ethical AI—or for his own share of the power?


Why Does OpenAI’s Profit Motive Matter?

Now that OpenAI is for-profit, it answers to investors, not the public.

AI could be designed to make money first, not to be fair or safe.

Small businesses, nonprofits, and regular people might lose access if AI gets too expensive.

AI’s future could be decided by a few billionaires instead of the public.


This lawsuit isn’t just about Musk vs. OpenAI—it’s about who decides how AI is built and used.


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2. The Stargate Project: A $500 Billion AI Power Grab

AI isn’t just about smart software. It needs powerful computers to run. And now, big companies are racing to own that infrastructure.

What Is the Stargate Project?

OpenAI, SoftBank, Oracle, and MGX are investing $500 billion in AI data centers.

Their goal? Create human-level AI (AGI) by 2029.

The U.S. government is backing them to stay ahead in AI.


Why Does This Matter?

Supporters say this will create jobs and drive innovation.
Critics warn it puts AI power in a few hands.
If one group controls AI infrastructure, they can:

Raise prices, making AI too expensive for small businesses.

Shape AI with their own biases, not for fairness.

Restrict AI access, keeping the most powerful models private.


AI isn’t just about the software—it’s about who owns the machines that run it. The Stargate Project is a power move to dominate AI.


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3. Can AI Be Decentralized?

Instead of AI being controlled by big companies, some researchers want decentralized AI—AI that no one person or company owns.

How Does Decentralized AI Work?

Instead of billion-dollar data centers, it runs on many smaller devices.

Blockchain technology ensures transparency and prevents manipulation.

AI power is shared, not controlled by corporations.


Real-World Decentralized AI Projects

SingularityNET – A marketplace for AI services.

Fetch.ai – Uses AI for automation and digital economy.

BitTensor – A shared AI learning network.


Challenges of Decentralized AI

Less funding than big corporations.

Early stage—not yet powerful enough to compete.

Security risks—needs protection from misuse.


Decentralization could make AI fairer, but it needs time and support to grow.


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4. AI Regulations Are Loosening—What That Means for You

Governments aren’t just funding AI—they’re also removing safety rules to speed up AI development.

What Rules Have Changed?

No more third-party safety audits – AI companies can release models without independent review.

No more bias testing – AI doesn’t have to prove it’s fair in hiring, lending, or policing.

Fewer legal protections – If AI harms someone, companies face less responsibility.


How Could This Affect You?

AI already affects:

Hiring – AI helps decide who gets a job.

Loans – AI helps decide who gets money.

Policing – AI helps decide who gets arrested.


Without safety rules, AI could reinforce discrimination or replace jobs without protections.
Less regulation means more risk—for regular people, not corporations.


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Conclusion: Why This Matters to You

AI is changing fast. The choices made now will decide:

Who controls AI—governments, corporations, or communities?

Who can afford AI—big companies or everyone?

How AI affects jobs, money, and safety.


💡 What Can You Do?

Stay informed – Learn how AI impacts daily life.

Support decentralized AI – Platforms like SingularityNET and Fetch.ai need public backing.

Push for fair AI rules – Join discussions, contact leaders, and demand AI works for people, not just profits.


💡 Key Questions to Ask About AI’s Future:

Who owns the AI making decisions about our lives?

What happens if AI makes mistakes?

Who should control AI—corporations, governments, or communities?


AI is more than technology—it’s power. If we don’t pay attention now, we won’t have a say in how it’s used.

Who Controls AI? The Fight for Power and Access

Alt Text: A futuristic cityscape divided into two sides. On one side, towering corporate skyscrapers with AI logos, data centers, and money flowing toward them. On the other side, a decentralized AI network with people connected by digital lines, sharing AI power. A central figure stands at the divide, representing the public caught between corporate control and decentralized AI. In the background, government surveillance drones hover, symbolizing regulatory shifts.

Posted on by Cherokee S. 0