AI is rapidly embedding itself into nearly every sector of society, from agriculture and education to health care, infrastructure, and national security. It’s often framed as an inevitable step forward, offering efficiency, insight, and even hope. But behind the headlines and marketing buzz lies a more troubling reality: the expansion of AI is deepening inequality, accelerating environmental destruction, and entrenching systems of surveillance and control.

This four-part series—adapted from a 2025 Bioneers Conference panel—dives into the lesser-told stories of AI’s rise. From the erosion of food sovereignty to the energy demands of data centers and the legal frameworks that prioritize corporate power, these essays challenge us to look more closely at what’s really being built in AI’s name and who gets left out.

You’ll hear from journalist and activist Koohan Paik-Mander, tech critic Paris Marx, environmental lawyer Claire Cummings, and anthropologist and farmer Soledad Vogliano. Each brings a distinct lens, from environmental law to food systems and digital rights, but they share a deep commitment to equity, accountability, and the protection of life in all its forms.

At Bioneers, our role isn’t to endorse a single viewpoint, but to open space for critical inquiry and diverse perspectives. The thinkers featured here are longtime activists and technology watchdogs who offer urgently needed context and critique. Their insights help illuminate not just what AI is, but what kind of future we’re allowing it to shape.

Whether you’re cautiously curious or deeply concerned, we hope this series offers new angles, sharper questions, and a deeper understanding of the stakes at hand.

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Part 1: Progress at Any Cost? The False Promises of AI

Far from a neutral tool, artificial intelligence is reinforcing the very systems it claims to disrupt. Journalist and activist Koohan Paik-Mander dismantles the narrative of AI as progress, revealing how it deepens inequality, fuels mass surveillance, and locks us deeper into extractive systems. From data centers powered by fossil fuels to algorithms used for political manipulation and drone warfare, she exposes AI as the latest frontier of late-stage capitalism and makes a powerful case for questioning the real price of so-called innovation.

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Part 2: The True Cost of AI: Water, Energy, and a Warming Planet

In desert towns and rural communities, entire ecosystems are being reshaped to keep AI running. Tech critic Paris Marx turns our attention to the staggering environmental footprint of AI’s infrastructure—hyper-scale data centers that consume millions of gallons of water and enough electricity to rival entire nations. With urgency and clarity, he challenges the unchecked expansion of a technology whose benefits remain speculative while its harms grow increasingly tangible.

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Part 3: The Illusion of Control: Deregulation, Legal Loopholes, and the Rise of AI

Drawing on decades of work at the intersection of law and activism, Claire Cummings traces a direct line from the deregulation of GMOs to today’s AI free-for-all. She reveals how artificial intelligence is advancing under familiar patterns: minimal oversight, voluntary compliance, and legal frameworks designed to serve private power. But she also makes space for possibility, calling on us to resist with clarity and care, and to recommit to community in the face of automation.

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Part 4: Farming in the Dark: The Black Box of AI and the Erosion of Food Sovereignty

As AI becomes more embedded in global food systems, it’s not just changing how we farm; it’s redefining who holds power over knowledge, land, and livelihoods. Anthropologist and activist Soledad Vogliano reveals how corporate-built algorithms are displacing traditional ecological wisdom and tightening the grip of agribusiness. With vivid insight, she frames AI in agriculture not as a neutral tool but as a political force with far-reaching implications for communities, ecosystems, and food sovereignty.

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Bioneers Learning Course Spotlight — From Reactivity to Resilience: Responsive Leadership and Fractals of Healing

Unlock your capacity for authentic, grounded leadership in From Reactivity to Resilience: Responsive Leadership and Fractals of Healing, a live online course with therapist and ReParentive® Therapy founder Pamela Rosin. Over six transformative Saturdays (Sept 13–Oct 18), you’ll explore how personal and collective trauma shape your patterns—and how to shift them. Through nervous system tools, embodied practices, and dynamic discussion, you’ll learn to move from reactive cycles into empowered presence. Ideal for therapists, activists, and changemakers ready to lead with clarity, compassion, and resilience.

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