It was in those remarks that she made her biggest splash, warning about the threats of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies at a recent congressional hearing. Luna warned against the emergence of a technology-enhanced elite ruling class. As she emphasized, unless regulated advances in transhumanist technologies such as brain implants and chip-based enhancements narrow the gap, this could lead to permanent advantage.
Luna cautioned that such advancements threaten to increase the divide between social classes. She argued that these improvements would only be available to the richest people. She dubbed people with such augmentations “the first superhuman.” She cautioned that a new digital divide might develop between those who can pay for technological upgrades and those who are unable to.
In her opening remarks at the hearing, Luna stressed how AI is rapidly reshaping the workforce. She focused in particular on how it would help eliminate low-wage jobs. Her concerns echo the economic and environmental concerns that millions of Americans are experiencing right now.
“From a bipartisan perspective, we’re talking about humanity versus machine,” – Rep. Anna Paulina Luna
As her comments went viral on social media, they elicited both derision and applause from freedom-loving members of the public. Many laughed her worries off as unrealistic, with one Twitter user comparing her discussions to “Sci-Fi, B-movie” screenplay plots.
“Is there the possibility of regulation that exists that would enable transhumanist enhancements that exacerbate financial inequalities, creating an elite class of enhanced individuals?” – Rep. Anna Paulina Luna
Others joined her in alarm, understanding the potential real-world consequences of unregulated technological progress. One user criticized the Republican stance on regulation more broadly:
“This question sounds like dialogue from a Sci-Fi, B-movie,” – another X user
Luna’s remarks were predictably divisive. Her appointment adds further weight to the ever-continuing debates on the future of high technology, surveillance, and the relationship these innovations maintain with society at multiple levels. She asked all the right questions that require urgent conversations around regulating technology. These discussions are important, especially in terms of our socioeconomic gaps.
“Republicans won’t regulate oil, guns, or Wall Street, but they’re gearing up for the cyborg uprising,” – another X user
Amidst the varied reactions to her statements, Luna’s position adds a layer of complexity to the ongoing debates about the future of technology and its societal impacts. The concerns she raised highlight the urgent need for discussions around regulations in technology, especially as they pertain to socioeconomic disparities.
