Russia now a world leader in internet shut downs. Careful what you search for:
They estimate that in this way the Kremlin gets a real tool to track everyone who tries to find “wrong” information or bypass blocking.
“In fact, Russia is moving towards a model of ‘sovereign internet,’ where access to the network will be determined exclusively by the state. This is another step towards the digital isolation of Russians and the transformation of the internet into an instrument of political control,” the CCD summarized.
The cost to the country’s economy must be massive.
AI overview
Russian internet shutdowns have a significant economic cost, with estimates suggesting that one hour of a nationwide mobile internet shutdown can cost the country billions of rubles, while a one-hour outage can cost over $115 million in Moscow alone.
I don’t think that Russians would use AI the way that we do even if it became available.
I ask Google Gemini all kinds of personal questions (about health, finance, etc.). I’m sure they keep the queries in their infinite storage but I doubt that our government is keeping tabs on me.
I would expect Russia’s government to watch every query. No way would I use AI there.
I have no idea how they can do the costings for this:
One hour of internet blackout costs Russia 46.4bn roubles ($557.1mn) nationwide, and 9.6bn roubles ($115.1mn) in Moscow alone, according to estimates by Internet Protection Society.
I’ve always thought that 1984 should be required reading in high school. And probably Animal Farm, too. Both cover important topics, and contain relevant warnings, for anyone living in a democracy. But, yeah…they are dystopian. Not cheery reads.
Brave New World is closer to what I most fear. It is the totalitarianism of Animal Farm and 1984 run by smart advertising hucksters and AI; you know, almost exactly where the powers seem to be steering us….
