The rise of digital authoritarianism: Larry Ellison wants everyone’s data and DNA plugged into AI datacenters to guide our behaviors

Oracle’s billionaire founder envisions a future where every aspect of human life is monitored, analyzed, and controlled by artificial intelligence—down to our DNA. Critics warn this is less about improving lives and more about consolidating power in the hands of a tech elite.

Key Points:

• Larry Ellison, Oracle’s founder and CTO, proposes unifying all American data—including DNA—into AI datacenters to “improve lives” through predictive analytics and surveillance.

• Ellison’s vision includes constant monitoring of citizens, from schools to bathrooms, with AI ensuring “best behavior” through omnipresent surveillance.

• These authoritarian plans will lead to a dangerous consolidation of power, with AI acting as an “immortal dictator” that could erode privacy, freedom, and democracy.

• The U.S. government and global leaders are already investing billions in AI infrastructure, raising concerns about unchecked surveillance and the rise of a “digital authoritarianism.”

The vision of a surveillance state

At the 2024 World Government Summit in Dubai, Larry Ellison, the fourth richest man in the world and founder of Oracle, laid out a chilling vision for the future of artificial intelligence. Speaking alongside former U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair, Ellison described a world where AI would unify every piece of data about individuals—from their genetic makeup to their daily habits—into massive datacenters. These AI systems, he argued, would “reason so much faster” than humans, diagnosing diseases, predicting crop yields, and even designing personalized vaccines.

But beneath the glossy promises of improved healthcare and agricultural efficiency lies a darker reality: Ellison’s vision is one of total surveillance. “Citizens will be on their best behavior because we’re constantly recording and reporting,” he said, describing a future where AI monitors everything from school bathrooms to police body cameras.

Ellison’s remarks are not merely speculative. Oracle is already building a $50 to $100 billion datacenter capable of processing the vast amounts of data required for this dystopian vision. The company is also working on biometric security systems that will replace passwords with facial and voice recognition, ensuring that every interaction with technology is tracked and recorded.

A global push for data unification

Ellison’s vision extends far beyond the United States. He cited examples of countries like the UAE and the U.K., which already possess vast amounts of population data, as models for what he hopes to achieve globally. Saudi Arabia, for instance, is investing heavily in smart city initiatives and a national genome program aimed at revolutionizing healthcare through personalized medicine.

But the push for data unification raises significant ethical and practical concerns. Ellison acknowledged that one of the biggest hurdles will be convincing nations to share their data and store it in foreign datacenters. Yet, he remains undeterred, arguing that the benefits of AI—improved healthcare, better governance, and increased efficiency—outweigh the risks.

Many people, however, see this as a thinly veiled attempt to consolidate power in the hands of a few tech elites. “Artificial intelligence is the most disruptive technology of the modern era,” wrote Karl Manheim and Lyric Kaplan in the Yale Journal of Law & Technology. “Its impact is likely to dwarf even the development of the internet as it enters every corner of our lives… presenting new dangers to social values and constitutional rights.”

The rise of digital authoritarianism: a world without boundaries

Ellison’s vision is not an isolated proposal. It aligns with broader trends in global governance and technology. Governments worldwide are increasingly turning to AI for surveillance and decision-making, often with little transparency or accountability. In the U.S., federal agencies reported over 1,700 uses of AI in 2024, double the number from the previous year. Of these, 227 were labeled as having significant impacts on rights or safety.

This shift toward “algocracy”—rule by algorithm—has profound implications for democracy and individual freedom. As former Google CEO Eric Schmidt ominously remarked, “We know where you are. We know where you’ve been. We can more or less know what you’re thinking about… Your digital identity will live forever because there’s no delete button.”

Ellison’s vision of a “happier citizenry” is predicated on the assumption that constant surveillance will lead to better behavior. But this logic is deeply flawed. As history has shown, unchecked power in the hands of a few inevitably leads to abuse. The idea that AI will act as a benevolent overseer is naive at best and dangerously misguided at worst.

Larry Ellison’s vision of a unified, AI-driven world is not a utopia—it’s a dystopian nightmare. By advocating for the collection and analysis of every piece of personal data, including DNA, Ellison is paving the way for a future where privacy is extinct and freedom is an illusion.

Sources include:

Substack.com

Oracle.com

WorldGovernmentSummit.org