The Sixth Power

As artificial intelligence increasingly shapes what we know, see, choose, and do, a fundamental question emerges: who governs the algorithms that govern us? In this interview, Hamilton Mann, author of Trias Algorithmica: What Code Rules, examines the rise of what he calls the “Sixth Power”—a new form of algorithmic governing authority that concentrates rule-making, execution, and judgment in the hands of a few powerful actors. He argues that making AI safe, transparent, and accountable is necessary but insufficient: the deeper challenge is to make algorithmic power legitimate. Introducing Trias Algorithmica, a constitutional paradigm for the separation of algorithmic powers, Mann explores how meaningful counterpowers can preserve human autonomy, prevent unchecked concentrations of authority, and ensure that the systems expanding our capabilities do not ultimately diminish our freedom.

Check out the full interview on Xbn