Remember how everyone was talking about the dangers of AI just a month ago?

“Is There Really a 10% Chance AI Could Kill Us All.”—The L.A, Times

For weeks, news reports have warned that artificial intelligence could someday escape human control, threatening everything from national security to humanity’s very existence in the future.

The future is here but it’s not from AI. It comes for one extraordinarily powerful human being whose hand hovers over the button of technology:

Elon Musk.

According to an explosive investigation by The Wall Street Journal, Musk personally ordered restrictions on the military version of Starlink, the satellite communications network on which Ukraine depends to defend itself against Russian attacks. The Journal reports that the restrictions rendered some Ukrainian attack drones and defensive interceptors virtually useless.

Consider what this means for American democracy.

One, unelected billionaire, (or is it trillionaire), through a decision involving his privately controlled technology, was reportedly able to compromise the military defenses of an American ally fighting for its survival. No congressional authorization. No public debate. And, according to some American officials, no direct presidential order.

And let’s all remember: altruism is not Elon Musk’s long suit.

According to the Journal’s report, both Musk and President Donald Trump had expressed anger over Ukrainian attacks on Russian oil facilities. Trump blamed those attacks for contributing to higher fuel prices. Musk publicly declared, “Zelensky has gone too far.”

Four days later, Ukrainian forces began experiencing restrictions on their satellite connections.

Coincidence?

Then there is the matter of presidential responsibility. Musk insisted that “Any limits on speed or usage are decided by the US military and ultimately POTUS.” Trump denied responsibility. When asked who ordered the restrictions, he responded, “I don’t know who it was, but I’d like to find out.”

The Journal reports conflicting accounts about whether Trump knew beforehand. Some officials say Musk acted independently. Another source says the two discussed the matter before the restrictions were imposed.

So, who made the decision? Who authorized it? And who, ultimately, is accountable? The questions go directly to the relationship between private wealth, government authority, and national security.

Musk controls technology that has now become essential to military operations. His companies also operate in satellite communications, space transportation, artificial intelligence, and digital information. America’s technological strength has long depended on private innovation. But innovation and accountability are not the same thing.

When a private company’s technology becomes indispensable to a nation’s defense, what safeguards prevent its owner from exercising power that ordinarily belongs to elected governments? What happens when American emergency communications, critical infrastructure, or other essential public services depend on systems whose owners can impose unilateral restrictions? What protections exist against disruptions that could affect elections or the public’s access to vital information?

The Ukraine episode doesn’t establish that Musk has manipulated American elections or emergency networks. But it raises serious concerns about concentrated technological power, and demands an investigation into the disruption of Ukraine’s defenses. Congress should establish exactly who ordered the Starlink restrictions. Exactly what government officials knew. And exactly what contractual safeguards exist to prevent similar issues.

It doesn’t take a rocket genius to recognize the danger.

Forget about the hypothetical dangers of AI taking control. The danger of unchecked technological power is already here. And at this  moment, one man controls it.