AI researcher Seth Lazar: AI is a symptom of decline, but also the only way out
sethlazar · x · 2026-09-07
In a substantive reply, AI researcher Seth Lazar lays out his view of acute civilisational decline, echoing Brink Lindsey's The Permanent Problem and the "brokenism" literature. He cites liberal democratic decline, economic stagnation, populism, corporate power, and epistemic ecosystem decay. AI has contributed, he argues, but so far more as symptom than cause—digital technologies were already driving these trends. Crucially, he sees no path out of decline that doesn't leverage AI, and believes powerful AI could enable qualitatively different positive trajectories. Related to his paper on agents and democratic resilience.
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