The Looming AI Crossroads: Lessons from Social Media’s Past
We stand at a pivotal moment with artificial intelligence,mirroring the early days of social media. Just as with those platforms, the core of AI monetization is increasingly the extraction of your attention and personal data. This isn’t a futuristic concern; it’s happening now.
Currently, roughly half of Americans engage with AI daily. Most of this interaction happens through free products offered by tech giants like Meta, Google, Microsoft, OpenAI, and Anthropic. these companies, naturally, have strong incentives too replicate the data-driven buisness models of social media.
But history doesn’t have to repeat itself. alternatives exist.
A Path Beyond Big AI
Several promising initiatives are building open-source AI tools. These tools prioritize transparency, user control, and the ability to run locally – meaning you control your data. Consider these examples:
* AllenAI: A leading research institute focused on building AI for the common good.
* EleutherAI: A decentralized collective creating open-source language models.
* Singapore, Indonesia, and Switzerland: Governments actively developing public AI alternatives, free from the pressures of profit.
Just as you now have choices in social media – from mainstream platforms like X to decentralized options like Mastodon and Bluesky – the AI landscape will diversify. While individual users may not wield the power of lawmakers, your choices matter.
You can influence the AI ecosystem by actively exploring and using these alternatives. For example, Switzerland’s public Apertus model is freely available for use via PublicAI.
Echoes of the past, Opportunities for the Future
These choices aren’t novel. They were available nearly two decades ago as social media transitioned from niche to mainstream. Unfortunately, we largely avoided critical policy debates, opting instead for an optimistic view of these technologies. Today, we have the possibility to choose a different path.
It’s crucial to intentionally shape a positive future for AI’s societal impact. Delaying action risks consolidating power in the hands of a few,making meaningful change increasingly arduous.
Don’t repeat the mistakes of the past. Explore the alternatives, demand transparency, and prioritize your data privacy. The future of AI – and its impact on your life - depends on the choices we make today.
Originally published in lawfare in collaboration with Nathan E. Sanders.
Tags: AI, LLM, privacy, social media
Posted on December 2, 2025 at 7:03 AM • 14 Comments
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