A Stanford Law School essay argues that AI systems fundamentally undermine civic institutions like courts, universities, and a free press. Woodrow Hartzog and Jessica Silbey contend these technologies erode the expertise, transparency, and interpersonal collaboration that give democratic institutions their legitimacy and purpose.

The authors claim AI's design inherently short-circuits decision-making and isolates people, creating a death sentence for institutions that rely on human evolution and accountability. This perspective frames AI not as a tool but as an active threat to the frameworks that enable complex societies to adapt and maintain stability.

This analysis arrives amid growing concern about AI's societal impact, from academic integrity to legal accountability. The central question becomes whether institutions can adapt their rules and roles fast enough to preserve their core functions, or if AI's affordances will permanently degrade the knowledge and cooperation they produce.