Jill Lepore, a historian at Harvard, appeared on The New York Times' 'Hard Fork' podcast to warn that the world is seeing the formation of what she calls an 'artificial state' — a system in which AI algorithms and the platforms they control are gradually displacing democratic institutions and undermining human autonomy. In her words, the new world order entails governing society not with the consent of the people, but through machines owned by private corporations, and the replacement of state functions by corporate structures, in her assessment, is already underway on a global scale. This is reported by RBC-Ukraine, citing the podcast episode.
Corporations instead of the state: how the 'replacement' works
Lepore emphasizes that digital technologies and social networks are becoming the main intermediaries in the monopoly over news creation, the dissemination of election information, and the formation of political thought. In her logic, this means that key functions historically performed by public institutions are in fact being handed over to private technology companies, whose decisions are driven by commercial rather than civic interests. This, in the researcher's view, is the very essence of the 'artificial state' — power that is not accountable to voters.
Isolating society and replacing democratic procedures
Lepore places particular emphasis on the destruction of traditional human communities. The digital space, she says, leads to alienation and the fragmentation of public life: instead of talking to neighbors, experts, or public officials, people increasingly turn to AI to find out who to vote for. In this way, the very mechanism of forming political choice is being replaced — from a living dialogue within society to algorithmic recommendation, which, in the researcher's assessment, undermines the foundation of democracy as the expression of the people's will.
The myth of AI 'inevitability' and disregard for people's opinions
The professor also points out that the promotion of artificial intelligence is proceeding without regard for the actual wishes of society, which often opposes the construction of new data centers. The tech elite, she says, deliberately promote the myth of AI 'inevitability' and claim that any regulation harms innovation. 'Similar promises that technology automatically strengthens democracy were made when personal computers, the internet, and social networks appeared, but in practice they created new threats and intensified surveillance of citizens,' Lepore notes.
The book 'The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State'
The researcher explores this topic in greater detail in her book 'The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State.' At the time the podcast was recorded, she described it as a work in progress, but by the end of August 2026 the book had already been published and became the subject of public discussion: The Guardian published a review of it, and NPR — an interview with the author, in which she develops her theses on the 'technological takeover' of public power.
Contradictory data
The sources contain discrepancies regarding the status and timeline of the book. In the RBC-Ukraine material, based on the 'Hard Fork' podcast episode, 'The Rise and Fall of the Artificial State' is presented as an 'upcoming book' that Lepore is 'currently working on.' At the same time, The Guardian's review is dated 19 August 2026, and the NPR interview — 25 August 2026, which indicates an already published edition. The most likely explanation: the podcast was recorded before the book's publication, and the Ukrainian material relayed the wording from that broadcast. Lepore's warning about the 'artificial state,' however, is consistently confirmed by all sources.
