Algorithmic Hegemony

AI, Political Elites, and the Reinvention of Electoral Influence

Abstract

This article examines the transformative role of AI-mediated communication systems (AIMCS) in shaping public discourse and political outcomes, with a specific focus on the 2025 German electoral campaign. By integrating insights from sociocybernetics, neurobiology, and anthropology, this study offers a multidisciplinary analysis of how AIMCS have evolved from passive conduits of information into active agents of governance. The article investigates how advanced generative models and engagement-driven algorithms restructure political communication by embedding hegemonic power structures into digital ecosystems. Through empirical analysis—including the case of Elon Musk’s platform “X” and its algorithmic amplification of far-right narratives—the study demonstrates how elite interference strategically manipulates AIMCS to reinforce binary, emotionally charged narratives that narrow public debate and erode democratic deliberation. The findings reveal that AIMCS capitalize on fundamental cognitive predispositions such as heuristic processing and negativity bias to generate recursive feedback loops, which not only stabilize existing ideological biases but also reshape the conditions under which political agency is exercised. This study calls for a critical reassessment of digital governance and the structural design of AIMCS, advocating for mechanisms that promote narrative diversity, epistemic complexity, and reflective dialogue to mitigate the systemic risks posed by algorithmic hegemony.