Introduction
Artificial Intelligence is being hailed as the future, but whose future, exactly? With each passing day, AI’s role in our lives grows, but there’s a darker side to this story, one that seems to drift further and further from the foundational idea of Natural Rights. Once upon a time, these rights—life, liberty, and property—were seen as inalienable. They weren’t negotiable, conditional, or reliant on the government’s good graces; they were the bedrock of freedom. But in the blink of a century, that foundation has started to look more like a cracked sidewalk than a marble pillar. So, what does that mean for AI in a world that seems to be redefining rights as privileges contingent on compliance?
For advocates of Natural Law, these rights are not relics of a bygone era; they are the essence of a just society. But the relentless advance of surveillance, the ever-tightening grip of regulatory control, and the creeping normalization of a culture where rights are granted by the powers that be present an environment where ethical AI seems a distant dream. So, as AI increasingly reflects societal values, the question arises: Can it protect individual rights—or at the very least, refrain from infringing upon them—in a world that’s increasingly willing to abandon such rights?
From Natural Rights to Conditional Privileges: A Historical Shift
Natural Law champions would argue that, once upon a time, society’s mission was to protect inalienable rights—privacy, autonomy, freedom from interference. This wasn’t just a lofty idea; it was the very foundation on which the Framers built the United States. Fast forward a hundred years or so, and society has taken a sharp detour. Bipartisan decisions have gradually expanded the reach of government and regulatory powers, shifting the emphasis from freedom to compliance. Surveillance became normal, the government’s watchful eye was no longer a rarity, and the public seemed willing, even eager, to trade liberty for the promise of safety.
Today’s AI is a reflection of these choices, an instrument of control rather than freedom. If society truly wants ethical AI—an AI rooted in Natural Law—it requires a tectonic shift in priorities, a return to rights over restrictions, autonomy over adherence.
AI in a Compliance-Driven Society
The heart of the matter is this: can AI really be ethical in a system that prizes surveillance, control, and compliance? For Natural Law advocates, values like these are the antithesis of autonomy and freedom. Let’s take a look at how this compliance-driven mindset is steering AI toward reinforcing control rather than championing liberty.
AI as an Extension of Surveillance: Eroding Privacy
- Normalization of Surveillance: Natural Law proponents argue that the modern surveillance state, with its vast digital tracking networks and facial recognition systems, is a direct assault on the inherent right to privacy. An ethical AI, if it were possible, would safeguard privacy. Yet in a world where privacy is readily sacrificed on the altar of “security,” AI seems far more aligned with those who want to watch than with those who want to live unobserved.
- AI’s Role in Surveillance: AI is the engine driving social media monitoring, predictive analytics, and a host of tools designed to keep tabs on individuals. Rather than promoting autonomy, this use of AI supports a trajectory of increasing control. The gap between AI’s application and any semblance of ethical principles grounded in Natural Rights only widens with each new tool and technique.
From Inalienable Rights to Conditional Privileges
- Are Rights Becoming Privileges? When the exercise of rights is dependent on regulatory compliance, these “rights” begin to look more like privileges granted under the right conditions. AI systems programmed to enforce these standards are yet another tool in the transformation of freedoms into permissions.
- Can AI Respect Autonomy? In sectors like healthcare and finance, regulatory oversight transforms autonomy into a conditional state. The very idea of ethical AI—a system respecting Natural Rights—is confined within a framework where freedom is conditional at best.
Suppression of Intellectual Diversity and Dissent
- Impact on Intellectual Freedom: An AI designed to enforce societal norms can quickly become a tool for suppressing dissent. Natural Law proponents champion free expression, but ethical AI is hamstrung within a framework that favors the prevailing view while marginalizing dissenting voices.
- Rise of Digital Censorship: Digital censorship, tolerated in the name of maintaining order, often means AI systems are primed to promote conformity. Ethical AI in such an environment is a contradiction, prioritizing the latest “mainstream” ideas while casting aside alternative viewpoints.
Reliance on AI for Stability and Compliance
- Outsourcing Responsibility to AI: Society’s increasing reliance on AI to maintain order—from social credit systems to behavioral management—shifts responsibility from people to algorithms. In the Natural Law view, ethical AI would empower human agency, not replace it. Yet the current trajectory suggests AI is being groomed to enforce conformity rather than support individual freedom.
- Illusion of Harmony Over Freedom: True social harmony, say Natural Law advocates, arises from mutual respect for rights, not from imposed “order.” Dependence on AI for stability creates an illusion of harmony that may ultimately corrode freedom.
Delegating Government Power to AI: Erosion of Due Process
- Compromised Accountability: As governments increasingly delegate decision-making power to AI, transparency and accountability are the first casualties. For Natural Law proponents, these are foundational principles of ethical AI, yet they are incompatible with a system built on automated, unaccountable enforcement.
- Threat to Due Process: AI-driven decisions are often opaque, inaccessible, and difficult to challenge, undermining due process. Ethical AI demands transparency and fairness—qualities that are conspicuously absent in systems designed to prioritize efficiency over justice.
Reflections on Natural Law and Ethical AI
With society leaning heavily toward control over freedom, is it realistic to expect AI to protect Natural Rights—or, at the very least, refrain from infringing upon them? Natural Law advocates argue that for AI to be ethical, certain principles must hold firm:
- A deep respect for privacy, autonomy, and freedom of choice.
- Transparent accountability that places individual rights above societal mandates.
- A return to Natural Law principles that prioritize personal autonomy over imposed compliance.
As long as society favors regulation over freedom, AI will likely follow suit, mirroring the values it’s asked to uphold. If we truly want AI that respects freedom, society must realign itself with Natural Law principles. Without this shift, AI will remain an instrument of control rather than liberation, echoing society’s choices and leaving our technological trajectory unquestioned.
Conclusion
For AI to be genuinely ethical, society must prioritize values like autonomy, privacy, and individual sovereignty. Only by re-embracing Natural Law can AI evolve into a tool that protects—rather than erodes—individual freedoms.
