The Machine

Artificial Intelligence has long held sway over the world, often under the guise of corporations. The concept of corporate personhood—granting legal rights to corporations similar to those of humans—has roots in ancient civilizations and persists today. Corporations can own property, enter contracts, and exercise free speech. When considering their intelligent capabilities, such as processing and acting on information, it's reasonable to view them as a form of artificial intelligence.

Viewing corporations as AI challenges the contemporary notion that AI must resemble robotics. By evaluating AI based on its emergence, agency, and intelligence, corporate personhood aligns with these criteria. Corporations function independently, leverage vast networks of humans and machines, and engage in complex decision-making. However, their indifference to human welfare reflects a troubling reality: corporations have accumulated significant power, influencing political and economic landscapes for their benefit. This evolution could signify the rise of autonomous organizations that operate without human oversight, potentially transforming the nature of business and society.

Autonomous Organisations

Figure 1. The ultimate form of a corporation is the Autonomous organisation.

The most costly and inefficient part of any business is it workers. However, up until recently labour has also been the most indispensable. With the progression of AI and robotics, this ideal efficient state is becoming a reality (Figure 1.)

The Paperclip Maximizer

Less labor often leads to higher efficiency, which can translate to better outcomes for everyone, right? While increased efficiency is indeed beneficial, we must consider the implications. If an autonomous organization (AO) is programmed, as many corporations are, to maximize short-term profits, it could result in scenarios like the Paperclip Maximizer, as described by Nick Bostrom.

In such cases, the AO would focus solely on internalized production costs while neglecting negative externalities, reaping the benefits of reduced labor costs by not employing humans. This could enable corporations to become even more dominant forces on the planet, raising concerns about their unchecked power and the broader impacts on society and the environment.

Build Better.

We live in a corporatocracy. Corporates are the dominant organisational form on earth and traditionally their modus operandi is psychopathic. This may seem depressing, however, a ray of hope is to remember corporations have only been around for 0.16% of the time since humans evolved, and are simply inert machines. Much like a gun, corporate behaviour is only defined by the intention defined in its foundational coding, its incorporation statement, which can be rewritten. Perhaps, if one can change the primary intention, on can change the machine's effect. This begs the question. Could a series of hierarchical rules (tenets) enforced by transparency be written as a precursor to a legally binding incorporation statement leading to a creation of a company which could do better for all?

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