During a recent appearance on the All-In podcast, Tucker Carlson delivered pointed warnings about artificial intelligence and its potential to become an instrument of government control and mass surveillance. His concerns focused not on science fiction fears of sentient machines but on the immediate risk of AI being weaponized by those in power to monitor manipulate and suppress citizens.
Carlson emphasized what he views as the most pressing danger and framed it squarely within the context of constitutional rights in the United States.
“The awesome power that AI gives governments and other concentrations of power over the population as a concern particularly in the United States where we have a bill of rights.”
He argued that safeguards protecting ordinary citizens from surveillance and the erosion of basic rights are urgently needed yet are rarely addressed in mainstream discussions surrounding AI development and deployment.
Carlson expanded on what he described as the obvious next decade predicting severe economic disruption driven by widespread job elimination followed by governments leveraging AI technology to maintain control over populations through repression. He argued this outcome is not speculative or exaggerated but a realistic trajectory based on how power has historically been exercised.
“the obvious next 10 years”
The discussion also explored how artificial intelligence systems can be shaped by ideological bias. Carlson warned that embedding specific worldviews into AI creates long term risks and opens the door for future governments or entrenched bureaucracies to use the technology to monitor censor and potentially condition the public. He highlighted AI’s persuasive capacity as especially concerning and described it as particularly effective at influencing behavior and perception.
When addressing corporate narratives around AI governance Carlson expressed skepticism toward the language used by technology companies. He argued that the concept of safety has become a vague catchall phrase that was previously used on social media platforms to justify suppressing viewpoints that made users uncomfortable. He warned that the same framework now appears to be guiding AI policy decisions.
Carlson also criticized the AI industry for failing to clearly explain how the technology benefits everyday Americans. He noted that unlike traditional products which promise tangible improvements to daily life AI has been introduced with abstract claims and ominous warnings rather than concrete advantages.
“No one has explained why we should be excited about this”
He concluded by arguing that AI represents an unprecedented concentration of power in the hands of institutions that already dominate economic and political systems. In his view this leaves ordinary citizens increasingly exposed especially at a time when many already feel their influence has diminished almost entirely. Carlson warned that without transparency and firm protections artificial intelligence could accelerate a shift toward technological repression rather than progress.