The question of who controls AI has been thrust into the spotlight once again after Elon Musk’s bid to purchase OpenAI was rejected overnight. It’s a story that raises bigger concerns—not just about business deals, but about the security of these platforms and the growing influence of AI in shaping public understanding.
It’s a discussion that’s already making waves, with The News Agents podcast picking up on the issue and referencing Graeme Stewart, Head of UK Public Sector at Check Point. Check Point, the company behind the original firewall in 1993, has long been at the forefront of cybersecurity, protecting major organisations across the world.
Graeme’s take? The implications of AI ownership aren’t just hypothetical—we’re already seeing the consequences unfold. AI is being weaponised in cyber warfare, and the ability to control one of the world’s most advanced systems has profound security risks. But beyond that, he warns, there’s a subtler danger at play: the quiet shaping of information itself.
“This is no different from the long-running debate over newspaper ownership and editorial stance,” he explains. “But with AI, the influence is far less visible. Users may not realise how ownership shapes the information they receive—and many don’t think about it, because they simply want the tool to work.”
It’s an issue that stretches beyond corporate boardrooms. As AI tools integrate seamlessly into daily life, they shape narratives in ways that aren’t always obvious. A single private owner raises red flags, but as Graeme points out, state influence is already dictating AI outputs—China’s DeepSeek, for instance, avoids discussing politically sensitive topics. The real risk isn’t just what AI reflects, but how it subtly introduces new narratives into society through everyday interactions.
“If AI is the new printing press, we need to ask—who is holding the pen?”
It’s a question that regulators, policymakers, and the public need to consider—before control over information becomes concentrated in too few hands.
