Well, talk about artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer just on the fringes or in narrow circles of techno-geeks. It’s a new frontier where battles for freedom of speech, ideological principles, and our future are being fought. Trump, who is once again being drawn to the front lines, along with his Silicon Valley allies Elon Musk, Marc Andreessen, and David Sachs, sees this as more than just a new technology.
They argue that AI is not just a toy for coders. It is a potential control tool that can surpass all those old algorithms of social networks and search engines. Users will now receive not just hidden posts, but “true” answers from AI.
But don’t rush to make conclusions. Musk with his Grok, Andriessen with his endless podcasts, and Sachs with his thoughts on “honest AI” clearly do not see things so clearly. Perhaps they are trying to convince Washington and Mar-a-Lago that AI can be both a tool of freedom and a tool of oppression. Their message is simple: if we don’t get it under control now, it may be too late tomorrow.
Is artificial intelligence a tool of control or freedom?
“AI censorship” sounds like tech giants controlling what chatbots say to users to further their corporate interests.
Skeptics have reason to be concerned. For example, Google Gemini, which promised to revolutionize image creation, found itself at the center of a scandal after it generated completely inappropriate images in early 2024. Multiracial versions of the American founding fathers? Google Gemini turned them into African Americans, Asians, and Native Americans.
Or ChatGPT, which refuses to answer questions about some sensitive topics. Users complain that this is no longer a tool for finding the truth, but an example of “convenient” moderation. There were also mishaps, for example, when it came to the US elections, AI could sometimes predict the outcome even before the votes were counted.
Techno guru’s opinion
While Google and OpenAI convince us that they “just care about users,” Musk, Andressen, and Sachs see it differently. They believe that their AI systems are systematically tuned for social compliance. Musk complains that even his own Grok is sometimes “too polite,” even though he was trying to create a truth-teller.
David Sachs expresses concern that AI censorship could be “a thousand times worse” than good old-fashioned social media moderation. His main priority is to maximize the truthfulness of AI: instead of complex and intricate algorithms that could still be refuted, we are faced with a situation where AI gives out the only possible version.
Manipulation disguised as neutral truth?
Trump’s advisors want to take this issue beyond the technical sphere and make it part of the mainstream.
The Battle for AI
When tech titans clash, it’s an explosive mix, like a fireworks display.
Let’s talk about specific players: Elon Musk has long made AI his personal mission. He initially invested in OpenAI in 2015 as one of the organization’s founders. Initially, OpenAI positioned itself as a non-profit, transparent alternative to large corporations. Musk stated that he wanted to create AI that would serve humanity, not corporations. But everything has changed: OpenAI became commercial and signed a deal with Microsoft.
Now Musk is a kind of rebel.
He founded xAI and launched the Grok chatbot as a direct alternative to ChatGPT. It is an AI that is not afraid to be “as truthful as possible”. Musk has been openly criticized for the “woke mind virus,” accusing the company of politicizing AI. And now he is already filing lawsuits against them and Google, accusing them of restricting freedom of speech. In his opinion, these companies control AI no less than the media controlled public opinion in the XX century.
Who controls AI?
According to Musk and his associates, the main “culprits” are Google and OpenAI, which, in their opinion, are implementing their own values in artificial intelligence. Musk is not alone in this fight: Marc Andreessen, co-founder of the venture capital firm a16z, argues that these companies are deliberately programming their systems to suit themselves. Andressen calls this “new level censorship” and believes that without transparent interaction between the government and Big Tech, we risk losing our independence in public discourse.
Andresen adds fuel to the fire, saying that Google is deliberately creating a narrative that is harder to notice but easier to implant in the minds of users. The scandal with Google Gemini, where algorithms, according to Andressen, seem to “disguise” bias under technical limitations.
Possible regulatory scenarios
Although the specific actions of the Trump team regarding the so-called “censorship of artificial intelligence” are still in the realm of conjecture, we can already identify several possible directions they may take. Let’s take a closer look at them.
Investigation and regulation
The first scenario is a classic approach: new investigations and increased regulation. The administration can increase pressure on large tech companies through specialized agencies. For example
Conducting large-scale audits of the transparency of algorithms at Google, OpenAI, and Microsoft. Introduction of legislative restrictions on automatic content filtering.
This option seems logical, especially given that Republicans have long criticized tech giants for their monopoly position and influence on public opinion. Musk, for example, has already demonstrated that attacks through judicial and regulatory mechanisms can be very effective.
Creating alternative platforms
If you can’t redesign the system, create a new one. This approach is perfect for Musk. The xAI project and its Grok bot are just such an example. The idea is simple: to give users an alternative that does not restrict freedom of speech under the pretext of security.
In early December, xAI, Elon Musk’s company, raised $6 billion in a new investment round, bringing the total amount to $12 billion. These funds are aimed at developing the company and its AI product, Grok, a generative model. Grok stands out among competitors such as ChatGPT with its non-standard and even rebellious answers.
Musk has been actively criticizing OpenAI and Microsoft, accusing them of trying to eliminate competition. xAI uses data from the X platform to train its models, which gives the company a competitive advantage. Grok is already being used to improve X functions, and its further integration and development is planned, which emphasizes Musk’s ambitions in the field of artificial intelligence.
Artificial intelligence as a symbol of freedom
Of course, we shouldn’t forget about PR. The topic of “AI censorship” is a great rhetoric that resonates with Trump’s supporters, as freedom of speech is one of the key issues he actively promotes.
This makes it possible to:
- Talk about it at rallies, increasing public attention.
- Underline the conflict with Big Tech as a fight for the rights of ordinary citizens.
- Use this topic as a lever to put pressure on technology companies.
Implications for Big Tech and the industry
If this fight goes full steam ahead, big tech players in the US will be significantly impacted:
- Increased transparency. Algorithms, model training, filters – all this will have to be disclosed through a public request.
- Growth of alternatives. Grok, Perplexity, and other services that position themselves as less “biased” will have a chance to gain a foothold in the market and expand.
- Decline in trust. Each new AI-related exposure or scandal (for example, the Google Gemini story) will undermine user confidence in major players.
Who will be the winner? This question remains open. But one thing is clear: the battle for AI is not just about technology. We will see how this battle will change our attitude towards AI in the coming years.