Clogger

Fung and Lessig's 2023 essay in The Conversation introduced 'Clogger' as a hypothetical AI campaign system that would combine the capabilities already demonstrated by large language models, micro-targeting infrastructure, and engagement optimization to produce personalized persuasion at unprecedented scale and sophistication. The point of the thought experiment was that every component already existed. The system was not speculative; it was an obvious near-term application of existing technology. The essay argued that the deployment of such systems was not hypothetical and that democratic societies needed to decide, before the systems were fully operational, what governance framework would apply. Clogger has since become a reference point in AI policy debates as the canonical illustration of how AI can be weaponized against democratic deliberation without any novel technical capability.