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RISK #12
Governance & Power Risks

Corporate Power Concentration

AI concentration in a few firms. Companies more powerful than states. No democratic accountability.

Severity

HIGH

Likelihood

HIGH

Reversibility

DIFFICULT

Mitigation

Early research


Failure Mode

Shareholder incentives override human welfare. Power without electoral checks.

Key Insight

Democratic institutions were designed for a world where corporations couldn't outthink governments.


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Linked Incidents
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Jan 2017 · ByteDance
Amazon India Allegedly Rigged Search Results to Promote Own Products
Dec 2016 · Amazon India
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Oct 2020 · Naver
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Sep 2024 · Clearview AI
Character.ai Companion Allegedly Prompts Self-Harm and Violence in Texas Teen
Dec 2024 · Character.AI
ChatGPT Banned by Italian Authority Due to OpenAI's Lack of Legal Basis for Data Collection and Age Verification
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Google Fined for Changing Shopping Algorithms in EU to Favor Own Service
Sep 2017 · Google
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Sep 2016 · RealPage
ChatGPT Reportedly Exposed Users' Private Data Reportedly Due to Bug
Mar 2023 · OpenAI
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May 2025 · ScotRail
Shein Accused of AI-Driven Art Theft on Merchandise
Jul 2023 · Shein, Chris Xu
Meta AI App Reportedly Publishes Personal Chats Without Users Fully Realizing
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Uber Deployed Secret Program To Deny Local Authorities Rides
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OpenAI Alleged by Lawsuit Violated Users' Privacy Rights by Training AI on Private Info without Informed Consent
Mar 2019 · OpenAI
Meta Allegedly Used Books3, a Dataset of 191,000 Pirated Books, to Train LLaMA AI
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Grab Tweaked Matchmaking Algorithm, Providing Preferential Treatment to Drivers Registered with Affiliated Car Rental Service
Oct 2019 · Grab