Imagine each of us has an AI representative, aligned to us, personally. Is gradual disempowerment solved?[1] In my view, no; at the same time having AI representatives helps at the margin.

I have two deep reasons for skepticism.[2] Here is the first one.

Humans are Not Alone

We, as individuals, are not the only agents or “agencies” in this world. Other goal-oriented strategic entities include states, corporations, and to some extent egregores.

For the sake of argument, imagine the current distribution of agency in the world as approximately 60% humans, 20% corporations, 20% states (numbers are illustrative)

Now, suppose we introduce individually aligned AI assistants for each person. At first glance, this seems empowering—each individual gains a cognitive extension, potentially leveling the playing field.