The Digital Gorilla: Rebalancing Power in the Age of AI
M. Alejandra Parra-Orlandoni (1), Roxanne A. Schnyder (2), Christopher J. Mallet (1) ((1) Harvard Kennedy School, (2) Harvard Law School)

TL;DR
This paper proposes a new governance framework for advanced AI systems, conceptualizing them as a fourth societal actor called the 'Digital Gorilla' that influences power dynamics across social, economic, and political spheres.
Contribution
It introduces the Four Societal Actors framework and a polycentric governance architecture to better manage AI's influence on societal power structures.
Findings
AI systems act as de facto centers of power, shaping social and economic realities.
The proposed framework maps power flows and identifies areas of power concentration and accountability erosion.
A federated governance model is suggested to ensure democratic legitimacy and institutional checks.
Abstract
Contemporary artificial intelligence (AI) policy suffers from a basic categorical error. Existing frameworks rely on analogizing AI to inherited technology types -- such as products, platforms, or infrastructure -- and in doing so generate overlapping, often contradictory governance regimes. This "analogy trap" obscures a fundamental transformation: certain advanced AI systems no longer function solely as instruments through which existing institutions exercise power, but as de facto centers of power that shape information, coordinate behavior, and structure social and economic realities at scale. This article offers a new conceptual foundation for AI governance by treating such systems as a fourth societal actor -- what we term the "Digital Gorilla" -- alongside People, the State, and Enterprises. It develops a Four Societal Actors framework that maps how power flows among these actors…
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Taxonomy
TopicsEthics and Social Impacts of AI · Socio-political and Technological Issues · Digital Economy and Work Transformation
