Jagdeo’s social media and AI call

May 12, 2024 Features / Columnists, The GHK Lall Column

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Hard Truths by GHK Lall

Kaieteur News – Some folks have reached out to ask what I think of Vice President Bharrat Jagdeo’s call to arms to supporters of the PPP to utilize social media and artificial intelligence (AI) to deal with “naysayers” and detractors”.  I understand this call, the pluses and the minuses, and how desperate leaders and party are; with readiness to leverage any tool, manipulate it any way, to gain some much-needed credibility.  For both cyberspace and AI are formidable assets that are available for use by all Guyanese, but a fat lot of good it will do the PPP, no matter how misused.  Being a PPP or PNC participant should not be a bar, restrain in any way, other than for the civil and the crime free.

Pursuant to the freest commerce in ideas and positions, for some semblance of honest national conversations, both social media and AI should be used to agree or disagree within bounds.  Perhaps, in being for these elements of social media and AI communications I am giving Jagdeo a pass.  I take that risk. Also, it is putting the most positive outlook on his charge to his party supporters, from extremists to fanatics to fundamentalists of different degrees of vehemence and vengefulness.  It will do his party no good, other than degrade further.

Realistically, this is Guyana with its politics and accompanying prejudices and profanities. Some may conclude that I give Jagdeo too much rope with social media and AI.  Since I am for free speech, then there is no other choice.  He can hang himself, in that his followers go too far, which will only make the PPP look worse, more depraved locally and overseas.  In fairness to Jagdeo, he insisted that his responders resist engaging in “nastiness.”  But how does he explain his own ugly “nastiness” delivered in his weekly press conferences?

What example has he set, if not being about chronic smelliness and nastiness?  But Mr. Jagdeo is smart, one known to protect his wicket by any means.  He must be given credit for getting that call to refrain from“nastiness” on the public record.  But who knows what other instructions have been given to the faithful in the PPP?  What is the understanding of the dirty tricksters who have shown much maliciousness and viciousness in their rampant misuse of social media?  For notwithstanding his caution, the formidable assets of social media and AI can be used to unleash the sinister, repugnant, and fearsomeby PPP camp followers.  I assert something else.When left unchecked, the formidable assets of social media and AI can mutate into the violent and the criminal.  My reaction to all this is simplicity itself: do your damnedest.  This is regardless of whose hands make the most odious use of social media and AI.  I believe that this second directive from Gen Sec Jagdeo (from the powerful floor of the Congress, no less) about using social media and AI to deal with party critics is the greenlight that could provoke any kind of violence and virulence. The PPP has a history of both, with the PPP weaponizing tools to destroy contrary thinking.

Now, I ask fellow citizens to look at what we have and where we are.  We have access to cyberspace and wholesome social media, including the deep and the dark.  The former is outstanding.  We also have cybercrime laws, a cybercrime unit in the Guyana Police Force, and civil society observers.  Now, here is the puzzle.  How have slandered and criminalized Guyanese received relief from what has harmed them?  Justice against PPP insiders, Central Committee members?  For emphasis: what is it that smeared and sullied Guyanese been rewarded with in their pursuit of justice, particularly when the vilifiers and cyber criminals are from the bowels and bosom of the PPP?  Mr. Jagdeo protected himself with the craftiness of no “nastiness”, but who has been nastier? His ugliness is on the record.  I respectfully invite the Attorney General Nandlall, Top Cop Hicken, and Crime Chief, Blanhum to weigh in with a word.

To this point, I have addressed only social mediain general terms.  Yet, the record of “nastiness” and vileness has been one dirty revelation following another of how the PPP attacks and besmirches objectors and doesn’t give a damn.  Leadership speeches or not; and especially when PPP leaders have been the best examples of the worst. Supporters are inspired: why not take a page from the leaders’ book?  When I first read of no “nastiness”, I chuckled.  But the big one, AI is still untouched.  In the hands of the irresponsible and criminally dangerous, it can be deadly.  Unlike social media, it is not limited to what can be fabricated and dumped on the unsuspecting and untarnished.  AI is what someone can be made to say, where they can be transplanted, and how they are made to look.  Bigoted.  Malevolent.  Unscrupulous.  Murderous.  That’s just a start.  I saw before that there will be laws, checks and balances, and policing.  To protect who from whom, may I ask?  With what implementation and enforcement, when PPP protected are the scoundrels?

Like “nastiness” there is appreciation for what is discerned as pro forma.  Relative to the uncharted shoals of AI, Guyana just got their version of a nuclear weapon.  Guyanese contrarians, dissenters, and undesirables are at PPP torpedoes.  Marching orders could always be misinterpreted and misused to mangle traitorous deviationists.  An arctic blast now envelops conscientious and disagreeable Guyanese. A last thought: social media and AI will not help the PPP.  They will expose Jagdeo’s fears some more and hurt the PPP still more.

(The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of this newspaper.)

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• Bharrat Jagdeo, Guyanese, National, participant, Vice President

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