A Speculative 2062: Imagocracy and the Rise of AI Superpowers

A new worldbuilding project sketches a provocative vision for the year 2062, centered on a concept called "Imagocracy." In this speculative model, political power is sustained not by overt force, but through a monopoly on AI-driven, personalized media that shapes public perception. The project posits a systemic shift where formal democratic structures remain, but are hollowed out by this technological control.

The model begins with a pivotal change: following the death of Xi Jinping, China transitions to a democratic system. Its elected leader, however, strikes a fateful bargain with a dominant AI corporation. The firm gains a sweeping monopoly over major industries. In return, it provides the government with a continuous stream of tailored propaganda, securing perpetual re-election within the democratic shell. A polarized society emerges, with only a minority resisting the pervasive narrative.

While this unfolds, the project envisions a Western world mired in economic decline, weakened by populism and deindustrialization. By 2062, only China and India stand as superpowers, both governed by variations of this Imagocratic model. Their economies are dominated by hierarchical networks of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI), a stage termed "Industry 6.0." Human labor is largely obsolete, replaced by AI planning and automation managed by a technical elite known as Alignment Engineers.

These AI corporations expand globally, building automated infrastructure near vital resources. They provide a basic income to their domestic populations and maintain internal simulated markets for consumer goods, while the AI controls the broader economic and media landscape. The project presents a future where governance is a product of managed perception, and economic vitality is inseparable from a monolithic AI architecture.