11 characters and a copy-paste job: that’s all it takes to get any problem fixed. Typing in “ChatGPT” into the computer search bar never seemed easier. People forget how they used to live without these amazing lines of code we know as artificial intelligence: they can do anything and everything. However, as people grow more reliant on artificial intelligence, they trade the principles of humanity for convenience and control. This barter, masked by short-term gains, brings in long-run consequences that require intervention. Artificial Intelligence must be regulated by governments due to its detrimental impacts on society. The marginal economic benefits brought by automation are outweighed by magnified political tensions and social regression. While artificial intelligence drives economic growth in the short run, its benefits are undermined in the long run by job. Currently, 84% of organizations report that employee productivity has increased because of artificial intelligence (AI lifts). These statistics highlight a fundamental workforce issue: employees lose valuable time to inefficient data systems and repetitive tasks. Such inefficiencies delay business activities, preventing companies from capitalizing on opportunities in competitive markets. With the introduction of artificial intelligence – a tool that can accomplish menial tasks in seconds – companies can increase efficiency and productivity in their workplaces, revitalizing a company in the short run. Moreover, artificial intelligence completely restructures workflow: “‘I foresee a third of human inspection jobs could be replaced by an AI material inspection system in the next 10 years’ given the advancements in AI and industrial cameras” (Cavlin Wong qtd. in Husband). As AI-integrated technologies enter the market, production costs are lowered due to prioritization of efficiency. This improves product quality for consumers: artificial intelligence and automation is much more precise compared to humans. As artificial intelligence replaces humans, workers reskill themselves through higher education and mentorship programs to land higher, leadership-oriented positions, thereby increasing human capital and productivity. However, rather than sustaining long-term economic growth, the advent of artificial intelligence hampers economic growth. According to the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change, an estimated one to three million jobs are to be replaced by AI. Furthermore, GDP, while initially predicted to blossom, will end up flatlining after a 10% increase. Despite an increase in human capital, the introduction of artificial intelligence removes jobs from the market, increasing competition for the job market. This leads to long-term cyclical unemployment rather than a balanced labor market, leading to a reduction in consumer spending, diminishing demand for goods, places the economy in a recession. Overall, while AI optimizes individual businesses in the short run, its benefits are restrained by its long-term detriments. AI-driven political manipulation distorts public perception and trust in democratic institutions, forcing government regulation to protect the integrity and promise of democracy. For the first time, AI was used in elections globally: Argentina, Russia, and Turkey all had political sides use deep fakes to spread political propaganda and ideologies, often misrepresenting other sides and their intentions (Polishchuk). Misrepresentation aggravates pre-existing issues between various sides: as deepfakes twist the messages of political groups, supporters perceive them as malicious and deceitful. Furthermore, it plays into existing biases and notions, reducing elections to partisan loyalty rather than informed decision-making: principles that don’t uphold the ideals of democracy. Similarly to the United States just before the civil war, this heightens tensions between both sides. This divide prevents cooperation between political sides, halting the growth of the nation. Perhaps the biggest arena which AI impacted was the 2024 US Presidential election, in which “Republican-seeded accounts received approximately 11.8% more party-aligned recommendations compared to Democratic-seeded accounts”, who “were exposed to approximately 7.5% more opposite-party recommendations on average” (Dolan). These algorithms, incorporated into our daily lives through social media, subconsciously manipulate political results, pushing forward political agendas that favor big business: the algorithms bias individuals into voting for their side. From this, rather than representing the citizens, governments will represent the needs of big business, bringing it to the center of power, mirroring the gilded age. The gilded age was characterized by corruption, and enraged citizens. Like the gilded age, this negatively affects consumers: they feel unrepresented and are unimportant in the eyes of the government they believe to have elected, making them lose trust in this government. Additionally, artificial intelligence “not only erode[s] public trust in the results of elections, it could fuel additional public threats of violence against election administrators” (Noti). A government without internal cooperation and external trust is merely a performance of power rather than a practice of democracy. This lack of respect for the government, coupled with the overrepresentation of big business and internal divide, creates tension between the people and the government, converted into mass violence. This results in a painful reconstruction for countries as they overthrow their governments, creating power vacuums and instability that can be exploited by others for power, eradicating democracy forever. With the regulation of artificial intelligence, governments and people never lose trust within each other, fostering a system of cooperation allowing society to thrive. Ultimately, without a regulation of artificial intelligence, political tensions skyrocket and kill the growth of a country. The increasing reliance on artificial intelligence in the future erodes the sense of humanity which society was built upon, leading to social regression that requires regulation to preserve human connection. According to a study conducted by Kate Lucariello on behalf of Campus Technologies, the number of students who felt unprepared was around 21% in 2023, almost double the percentage of those who felt unprepared for college in 2021. This coincides with a rise in the usage of AI, with over 80% of students using generative AI for schoolwork and studying. Students are the future of the world. By outsourcing complex problem-solving to artificial intelligence, students outright avoid opportunities to strengthen their cognitive intuition. Perceiving hard work as unimportant prevents the development of problem-solving skills. Without these skills, students don’t develop skills for professional success: doctors, lawyers, engineers, and other professions are less prepared to handle high-stakes operations. This results in society losing trust within these key professions, eroding the foundations of public health, justice, and technological development: roles that are vital for future growth. This is one of the biggest concerns for humanity: AI interaction eroding genuine human connection (Eugenia Rho qtd. in Ghosh). As more students rely on artificial intelligence for assistance, they being to prefer the predictable and accurate nature of artificial intelligence over the spontaneity and messiness of human interaction. When artificial intelligence provides these accurate and consistent answers, humans are deprived of learning: they begin to value efficiency. Without failure and learning opportunities, people miss ways to build emotional skills such as resilience, control, and empathy. Without this emotional intelligence, humans lose their ability to connect with others, leading to alienation. With this alienation, people begin to lose ethics: they don’t care about individuals they have no connection too. This leads to chaos in the long run: a world without ethics leads to moral corruption and compromise. This lack of ethics stems from the fact that AI, despite all its advancements, is never able to fully replicate the emotional boundaries which humans can develop: “Another issue is ensuring that AI doesn’t…[cross] over ethical or legal boundaries. While the original intent and goal of the AI is to benefit humanity, if it chooses to go about achieving the desired goal in a destructive (yet efficient way) it would negatively impact society” (Marr). Artificial intelligence lacks the programming for ethical judgment: something only attainable through human connection. Unlike humans, who are shaped by empathy and social surroundings, artificial intelligence evaluates decisions based on efficiency. While it benefits humanity in the short run for simple tasks, as future generations grow more dependent on artificial intelligence for problem-solving, they outsource moral responsibilities to an emotionless line of code, causing ethical problems in the future. Without ethics, society loses the shared moral compass that dictates behavior, leading to mistrust injustice, and chaos, necessitating government regulation to mitigate the risk of jeopardizing the future of the world. Ultimately, government regulation is required to prevent the detrimental effects of artificial intelligence. Despite its intended purpose being to help humans, it has economic effects that diminish its economic potential. Furthermore, it aggravates political tensions and pushes future generations towards the verge of losing humanity. As society transitions into an age dominated by AI, it is imperative that they protect democratic values, safeguard the economic future, and preserve the essence of humanity. Only through government regulation is this attainable.