1/ 🚨 EXCLUSIVE
Democrat-aligned activists are war-gaming AI for “tactical” protest operations, including VR training simulations and discussion of drone use, modeled on military-style planning.
🧵👇
2/ The document - How AI Can Support Democracy Movements - was shaped by figures deeply embedded in Democrat protest politics and USAID-funded “democracy promotion” networks, including Erica Chenoweth, whose work overlaps with progressive activism and lawmakers such as Pramila Jayapal.
This is the same ecosystem long used overseas now applied domestically.
3/ The report begins by identifying what it calls a serious operational weakness in modern protest movements:
“A large gap exists in social movements’ ability to use AI tools for their own tactical, strategic, and organizational needs.”
It then defines what those “needs” actually are.
4/ Quote:
“Background research, systematic power mapping, intelligence gathering, sentiment analysis, predictive modeling, and strategic coaching.”
This is the functional scope the authors believe AI should fill.
5/ On how AI would be used during protests themselves, the report is explicit:
“AI could be used before, during, and after protest events… supporting organizers in planning and adapting logistical aspects, such as timing and escape routes.”
6/ The document also discusses real-time situational awareness:
“AI tools could even help track the location and tactical movements of allies and adversaries in real time.”
That is coordination, not messaging.
7/ Participants openly acknowledged adopting tactics usually criticized when used by governments:
“While repressive forces often use bots… there’s potential for movements to apply similar techniques to infiltrate regimes or deplete their resources.”
8/ The report endorses predictive systems to preempt disruption:
“Predictive AI [could] help identify infiltrators, provocateurs, and other spoilers before they take actions that harm movements.”
9/ On training, the authors point directly to military precedent:
“Lessons from current military uses of AI, such as sticking to plans under pressure and utilizing VR for training, could offer activists new methodologies.”
10/ They also flag emerging technologies explicitly:
“Movements must devise strategies… including VR and drones, which have not yet achieved widespread adoption despite their potential.”
11/ Finally, the report confirms these ideas are already moving into practice:
“Since the workshop took place, CANVAS launched their Activist Intelligence initiative… Social Movement Technologies has offered training workshops on AI… and AI for Organizing hackathons took place in 2024.”
End 🧵
Full story here ⬇️
open.substack.com/pub/nataliegwi…
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