Foucault used the Panopticon as a metaphor for how modern power operates, not through force but through constant surveillance that disciplines individuals into self-regulation. Power does not simply repress; it shapes behavior by defining what is normal and punishing deviation. Today, a shift is underway from centralized digital patronage to the democratization of discourse. This transition challenges Foucault’s idea that discourse is power by decentralizing the means of knowledge production, especially through open and distributed AI systems that allow more voices to shape meaning rather than only those in authority.
But with the rise of Chinese open source AI weights, we’re witnessing a seismic shift from tightly held digital hierarchies to a new era of decentralized knowledge production. This isn’t just technical disruption; it’s philosophical. Like the printing press before it, open source AI redistributes who gets to shape the narrative, challenging the very Foucaultian foundation that once defined modern Western institutions.
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