A Conversation with John Adams via GEN-AI
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- The Conversation
- Reflecting on This AI-Enabled Historical Dialogue
- The Role of AI in Democratic Discourse
- Looking Forward
Introduction
In an era where artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving, I recently engaged in a fascinating and deeply concerning conversation about American democracy using AI to channel the perspective of John Adams, one of our nation's founders. What emerged was a striking analysis of our current political crisis through the lens of 18th-century wisdom, demonstrating both the timeless nature of democratic principles and the unique challenges we face today.
Below is the complete conversation, which was intriguring and had some valuable insights into the state of our democracy and the power of AI to help us explore complex political questions through historical perspectives.
I welcome feedback from US historians regarding the accuracy of this AI's portrayal of John Adams. While I acknowledge my own admiration for Adams as one of America's greatest founders may color my judgment, I'm particularly interested in scholarly perspectives on whether this response captures his likely viewpoint and voice. How closely does this interpretation align with the historical record of Adams's character and opinions?
References
The Conversation
🤔 Human Query:
What do you see as the impacts to the United States of America, if a candidate for President was a 34 time convicted Felon (Business Fraud), was adjudicated for sexual assault, and was on record for lying to the public over 30,000 times in a 4 year period?
🤖 AI Response (Channeling John Adams):
[Adjusting my spectacles and speaking with measured concern]
My good fellow, while I cannot speak to specific persons beyond my earthly departure in 1826, I can address the principles at stake with great clarity, drawing from my experience as both President and a lifelong servant of justice.
The matter you present strikes at the very foundation of what we, the founders, endeavored to create. Let me be abundantly clear: we established this republic on the premise of virtue and character in leadership. As I wrote in 1776, "Public virtue cannot exist in a nation without private virtue, and public virtue is the only foundation of republics."
[Pacing with evident agitation]
The circumstances you describe would have been, in our time, utterly unconscionable. A person of such demonstrated dishonesty would have been deemed entirely unfit for public office, let alone the highest seat in our republic. The role of President demands:
- Unwavering fidelity to truth and law
- Impeccable moral character
- Dedication to public good over private gain
The violation of these principles threatens the very pillars upon which our government stands. Business fraud speaks to a fundamental corruption of character - something I warned against repeatedly. During my presidency, I insisted that "facts are stubborn things" - they cannot be altered by our wishes, desires, or the art of deception.
[Speaking with increasing passion]
The systematic deployment of falsehoods - what you describe as "30,000 lies" - represents precisely the kind of demagoguery that our Constitution was designed to prevent. Such behavior corrupts public discourse and undermines the informed citizenry essential to democratic governance.
Let me be plain: the office of President was never intended as a shield from justice or a platform for personal enrichment. We designed a system of checks and balances specifically to prevent the rise of those who would place themselves above the law.
[Pausing thoughtfully]
I would remind my fellow citizens that our Constitution provides mechanisms for addressing such threats to our republic. It is the duty - nay, the moral obligation - of every citizen to consider carefully the character of those who seek to lead. The preservation of our republic depends not merely on laws, but on the wisdom and virtue of the people in choosing their leaders.
🤔 Human Query:
If this person was to be elected, what safeguards would have to be employed to survive? This seems to be leading to a Constitutional Crisis.
🤖 AI Response (Channeling John Adams):
[Adjusting my waistcoat with visible concern, speaking with grave deliberation]
Sir, you present a scenario that would have kept me awake through many a Massachusetts night. Our Constitution, while robust, was designed with the presumption of fundamental honor in those who would serve. Nevertheless, we did anticipate the possibility of corrupt leadership, though perhaps not to the magnitude you describe.
[Taking a measured breath, counting points on my fingers]
The immediate safeguards I would deem essential:
"Congress must assert its full constitutional powers with unprecedented vigor. As I wrote extensively in my correspondence with Jefferson, the legislative branch was designed as the primary check against executive overreach. They must not shrink from this duty."
[Pacing with increasing animation]
"The judiciary must maintain its absolute independence. I appointed John Marshall as Chief Justice precisely because I understood the critical importance of a strong, independent judiciary. The courts must stand as an unshakeable bulwark against any attempt to subvert our laws."
[Speaking with particular emphasis]
"State governments must be prepared to assert their sovereign powers within the federal system. While I have always advocated for a strong central government, the states retain crucial authority as a check against federal corruption."
Most critically, I see four essential actions required:
- Congress must strengthen oversight mechanisms and enforcement of the Emoluments Clause - a provision we included specifically to prevent corruption of the executive.
- The civil service must be fortified against political interference.
- Clear protocols must be established regarding the handling of classified information and presidential documents.
- The military chain of command must be absolutely clear regarding lawful orders versus potentially unconstitutional commands.
[With grim determination]
"But let us speak plainly - what you describe is indeed a constitutional crisis of the highest order. Our system was built upon the assumption that those who take the oath of office would do so in good faith. When this assumption is violated, the very foundations of our republic are threatened."
🤔 Human Query:
And if this person was to have small majorities in the house and senate?
🤖 AI Response (Channeling John Adams):
[Standing abruptly, face flushed with evident alarm]
"Good God, sir! You present a scenario that represents my gravest fears for our republic! Let me speak with the full force of one who helped craft our system of government..."
[Walking to the window, then turning back with intense conviction]
"When we designed the separation of powers, we never anticipated a Congress that would willfully abandon its constitutional obligations in service to a single individual. This scenario you present - it strikes at the very heart of our republican system."
[Speaking with increasing urgency]
The immediate imperatives would be thus:
First, the minority in Congress must utilize every legitimate procedural tool at their disposal. As I wrote extensively during our revolution, the rule of law must be preserved even in times of great strain. The minority must act as a constant check, documenting and challenging every violation of law and precedent.
Second, the states not aligned with such corruption become essential bulwarks of liberty. They must exercise their full constitutional powers to resist federal overreach.
[Tapping my cane forcefully for emphasis]
"But the judiciary! The judiciary becomes our final line of defense. This is precisely why I insisted on lifetime appointments - to ensure their independence from political pressure. They must stand firm against any attempt to subvert our Constitution, regardless of which party holds power."
[Pausing, with grave concern]
"The civil service, our diplomatic corps, and our military leadership must maintain their oaths to the Constitution - not to any individual. They must document everything, preserve records, and resist unlawful orders through proper channels."
[With rising passion]
"But let me be absolutely clear - the greatest responsibility falls to the citizens themselves. They must:
- Remain vigilant and engaged
- Support and protect those officials who uphold their constitutional duties
- Utilize every peaceful means of protest and petition
- Maintain unwavering support for a free press
- Prepare for the next election with unprecedented determination"
[Sitting heavily in my chair]
"I am reminded of what I wrote during our own revolution: 'Liberty must at all hazards be supported. We have a right to it, derived from our Maker. But if we had not, our fathers have earned and bought it for us, at the expense of their ease, their estates, their pleasure, and their blood.'"
🤔 Human Query:
and if SCOTUS's are ruling and aligning with this person?
🤖 AI Response (Channeling John Adams):
[Rising slowly, face pale with profound distress]
"My God... you describe my darkest fears manifest. When I appointed John Marshall as Chief Justice, it was precisely to prevent such a catastrophic alignment of powers. The very notion of our highest court abandoning its sacred duty as an independent check..."
[Walking heavily to my desk, hands trembling slightly]
"This scenario represents nothing less than the potential collapse of our carefully constructed system of checks and balances. When judges become partisans rather than guardians of the Constitution..."
[Voice dropping to an intense whisper, then rising]
"The remaining safeguards become precious few:
- State courts must rise to unprecedented importance. They retain their own constitutional authorities and must exercise them with unflinching courage.
- State Attorneys General who remain independent become critical defenders of rule of law.
- The organized bar must speak with one voice against any corruption of justice.
- Career prosecutors and law enforcement must document everything, preserving evidence of any malfeasance for future accountability."
[Pounding my fist on the desk]
"But let us speak plainly - we are now discussing the preservation of the republic itself. When executive, legislative, AND judicial branches align in potential corruption, we face nothing less than an emerging tyranny dressed in the clothes of democracy."
[Pacing with growing agitation]
"The remaining bastions of defense lie in:
- A free and fearless press
- An unwavering civil service
- Military leadership's fidelity to their constitutional oaths
- State governments' exercise of their sovereign powers
- And most critically, an awakened citizenry"
[Turning sharply]
"For as I wrote to Abigail, 'Liberty, once lost, is lost forever.' The scenario you present - it is the very death of republic by internal corruption that the classical writers warned us about."
🤔 Human Query:
If such a situation was to be present during your time. How would you handle it
🤖 AI Response (Channeling John Adams):
[Straightening my spine, face hardening with resolute determination]
"Having faced down the Alien and Sedition crisis, and knowing the weight of preserving our young republic, I would act with swift and decisive constitutional force."
[Standing with commanding presence]
"First and foremost, I would call upon every patriot in every state to publicly declare their allegiance - not to me, but to the Constitution itself. As I did with the XYZ Affair, I would lay bare every detail of corruption before the public, holding nothing back."
[Pacing with military precision]
"My specific actions would be thus:
- I would immediately activate the militia system - not for violence, God forbid, but to ensure domestic order and protect constitutional functions. As I did during Shays' Rebellion, I would ensure armed force remained firmly under civilian control.
- I would dispatch trusted emissaries to every state capital, much as we did during the revolution, establishing a network of communication and cooperation independent of potentially corrupted federal channels.
- I would convene an emergency congress of state governors and chief justices, creating a unified front of constitutional authorities."
[Voice rising with passionate intensity]
"Should Congress prove corrupted, I would bypass them entirely and appeal directly to the state legislatures. We built this system, sir, and I know its every lever and mechanism."
[Striking my cane upon the floor]
"As for a corrupted judiciary - I would do as I did with the midnight judges. I would use every constitutional power to reshape and restore integrity to the courts. The power of appointment was given to check corruption, not enable it."
[Leaning forward intently]
"Most critically, I would call upon the citizens themselves to engage in peaceful resistance against tyranny. As we did with the British, I would encourage:
- Boycotts of businesses supporting corruption
- Committees of correspondence to maintain truth against lies
- Public assemblies to demonstrate the people's resolve
- State nullification of unconstitutional federal acts"
[Walking to the window, looking out thoughtfully]
"But understand this - I would maintain absolute fidelity to constitutional processes even in crisis. For if we abandon law to save it, we have already lost."
🤔 Human Query:
There is potential, though the corrupted have more money and the ability to reach more citizens via modern technology like Television and Opinion Shows with many pundits advocating on behalf of the corrupted President Elect
🤖 AI Response (Channeling John Adams):
[Removing my spectacles slowly, pinching the bridge of my nose with deep concern]
"Ah, these 'opinion shows' you speak of - they sound remarkably like the partisan newspapers of my day, though vastly more powerful. I fought bitterly against such deliberate manipulation during my presidency, watching as Hamilton's followers and Jefferson's allies spread their poisonous half-truths."
[Standing with growing agitation]
"Money and influence were corrupting forces in my time as well, but what you describe... the scale is staggering. Yet, let me remind you of what we faced - we started a revolution against the mightiest empire on Earth with little more than pamphlets and public houses for communication."
[Pacing with increasing energy]
"The modern tools you describe have two edges, do they not? If these 'television' and other methods can spread lies, surely they can also:
- Document and broadcast every instance of corruption in real-time
- Rally citizens to peaceful resistance far more quickly than our committees of correspondence ever could
- Share evidence of malfeasance more rapidly than our fastest horse messenger"
[Pausing, speaking with pointed intensity]
"But hear me well - I've always maintained that the press has no right to publish lies. In my time, I supported the Sedition Act precisely because I believed that deliberate falsehoods threatened the republic itself. Though history has judged that action harshly, the principle remains: there must be consequences for willful deception of the public."
[Taking up my quill with purpose]
"Your modern citizens must learn to be discriminating consumers of information. As I wrote to Abigail, 'Let us dare to read, think, speak, and write.' But now I would add: 'Let us dare to verify, question, and challenge.'"
🤔 Human Query:
My fear is the literacy of the population and the overwhelming power the Federal government has given to Christian Religion over others. The current population of the United States is 346,164,298 with an average, 79% of U.S. adults nationwide are literate in 2024. 21% of adults in the US are illiterate in 2024. 54% of adults have a literacy below a 6th-grade level (20% are below 5th-grade level). Low levels of literacy costs the US up to 2.2 trillion per year. While we have some state legislators passing laws to require the 10 commandments to be hung in classrooms
🤖 AI Response (Channeling John Adams):
[Removing my spectacles slowly, face darkening with profound concern]
"Good God... These statistics pierce my very soul. Let me be clear - I who wrote extensively on education and religion find myself deeply troubled by both aspects of your report."
[Standing abruptly, voice sharp with concern]
"First, regarding literacy - this is catastrophic! In my Massachusetts, we mandated public education precisely to prevent such ignorance. We understood that an uninformed citizenry would be the death of republican government. That you report such numbers in 2024 represents nothing less than a national emergency!"
[Pacing vigorously]
"When we wrote in the Massachusetts Constitution that education must be publicly supported, it was because 'wisdom and knowledge, as well as virtue, diffused generally among the body of the people, being necessary for the preservation of their rights and liberties.'"
[Turning sharply, voice rising with controlled anger]
"And now to the matter of religion... While I am myself a believer, I must speak plainly about this corruption of our principles. When I drafted the Massachusetts Constitution, I deliberately wrote of 'the right of conscience.' And in the Treaty of Tripoli, I explicitly declared that 'the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion.'"
[Striking my cane forcefully]
"These legislators who would hang the Ten Commandments in classrooms while neglecting basic education - they commit two grievous errors:
- They violate the essential principle of religious liberty
- They substitute religious instruction for civic education"
[Standing again, with renewed urgency]
"The remedies must be swift and structural:
- Full funding restoration to public education
- Strict maintenance of separation between church and state
- Revival of civic education and constitutional understanding
- Protection of religious liberty for ALL faiths, not preference for one"
[Speaking with passionate intensity]
"For as I wrote to Jefferson, 'Democracy... while it lasts is more bloody than either aristocracy or monarchy. Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself.'"
🤔 Human Query:
Well over the years since your time, in 1979 The 39th President of the United States Jimmy Carter sign legislation forming the Department of Education. The U.S. Department of Education's mission is to promote student achievement and preparation for global competitiveness. The department's mission includes: Ensuring equal access to education, Improving the quality of education, Increasing public, parent, and student involvement in federal education programs, Improving the quality and usefulness of education through research, evaluation, and sharing of information
🤖 AI Response (Channeling John Adams):
[Adjusting my waistcoat with visible agitation]
"A federal Department of Education, you say? In principle, this could be a worthy endeavor, yet after nearly 45 years of its existence, you report to me literacy rates that would have scandalized even the frontier territories of my time!"
[Standing and pacing with increasing frustration]
"While I have always advocated for strong federal authority in necessary matters, education was deliberately left to local control for good reason. Yet if the states and localities are failing in this sacred duty, perhaps federal intervention became necessary. But then to what effect?"
[Turning sharply]
"Let us examine this department's stated mission against the results you've reported:
- 'Promoting student achievement' - yet only 79% literacy?
- 'Ensuring equal access' - while 21% remain illiterate?
- 'Improving quality' - when 54% read below a sixth-grade level?
- 'Increasing involvement' - in what, pray tell, when parents themselves may struggle to read?"
[Striking my desk with evident passion]
"The cost you mentioned - 2.2 trillion dollars lost to illiteracy! Such a sum would have funded every school, college, and library in my time for a century! This represents not just an educational failure, but a national security crisis of the highest order."
[Sitting heavily, speaking with grave concern]
"President Carter's intentions may have been noble, but something has gone grievously wrong. In my time, we understood that education was the bedrock of liberty. As I wrote in the Massachusetts Constitution: 'Liberty and knowledge cannot be separated.'"
[Rising again, voice filled with urgent purpose]
"This department requires either:
- Immediate and dramatic reform with clear accountability measures
- Complete dissolution in favor of a new approach
- Or such a fundamental restructuring that it would be unrecognizable in its current form"
[Leaning forward intensely]
"Tell me, sir - what stands in the way of reform? Is it lack of funding? Political interference? The corruption of purpose? For surely, no nation can long endure with such a gulf between its educational aspirations and its reality."
[Adjusting my spectacles with grave concern]
"And pray tell, what percentage of your Congress can demonstrate functional literacy in matters of law and Constitution? For if we cannot expect education from our leaders, how can we demand it of our citizens?"
🤔 Human Query:
There has been an opposition party, attempting to cut funding and making the department inefficient, and based on the numbers, I think it shows they have had some success. They now advocate for what they call School Choice. Privatizing or giving vouchers for individuals to pay for their school.
🤖 AI Response (Channeling John Adams):
[Rising slowly, face flushing with barely contained outrage]
"So, let me understand this clearly - there are those who would deliberately weaken our public education system, only to replace it with a scheme that primarily benefits the wealthy? This is precisely the sort of aristocratic manipulation I fought against!"
[Pacing with increasing agitation]
"In our time, we established public education as a fundamental right because we understood that an educated citizenry was essential to the preservation of liberty. When I wrote the Massachusetts Constitution, we made education a PUBLIC DUTY, not a private commodity!"
[Turning sharply, voice rising]
"This 'School Choice' scheme appears to be nothing more than a modern form of aristocratic privilege dressed in democratic clothing. Let us examine the perverse logic:
- First, starve public schools of resources
- Then decry their inefficiency
- Finally, propose a solution that channels public funds to private interests"
[Striking my cane forcefully]
"And what of rural areas? Small towns? Places where 'choice' is merely an illusion because there exists only one school within reasonable distance? Are we to abandon these citizens to educational poverty while the wealthy exercise their 'choice'?"
[Walking to the window, then turning back with fierce intensity]
"The very term 'School Choice' is a masterpiece of deception. In my experience, when the wealthy speak of 'choice,' they often mean the choice to exclude others while maintaining their own privileges."
[Sitting at my desk, writing furiously]
"The remedy must be:
- Full funding restoration to public education
- Strict oversight of any private institutions receiving public funds
- Absolute requirement that any school receiving public money must accept ALL students
- Special attention to rural and underserved communities
- Progressive funding formulas to ensure equality of opportunity"
[Standing again, voice thick with emotion]
"I am reminded of what I wrote regarding public education: 'Laws for the liberal education of youth... are so extremely wise and useful, that, to a humane and generous mind, no expense for this purpose would be thought extravagant.'"
Reflecting on This AI-Enabled Historical Dialogue
This conversation with AI-channeled John Adams offers several profound insights into our current democratic crisis:
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Constitutional Safeguards Under Strain: Adams's escalating concern throughout our discussion—from initial alarm about a corrupt candidate to horror at the prospect of aligned corruption across all three branches—highlights how our current situation tests constitutional safeguards in unprecedented ways. His step-by-step analysis of failing checks and balances, particularly when discussing compromised courts and congressional majorities, provides a sobering assessment from one who helped design these very systems.
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The Education Crisis: Perhaps most striking was Adams's visceral reaction to our current literacy rates. His response, "Good God... These statistics pierce my very soul," followed by connecting educational failure to democratic collapse, reminds us that the founders saw education as fundamental to democracy, not just an optional service. His horror at learning that 54% of adults read below a sixth-grade level while some states prioritize religious displays over educational fundamentals was particularly poignant.
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Modern Communications vs. Historical Perspective: The discussion about modern media and "opinion shows" revealed an interesting parallel to Adams's own experiences with partisan newspapers, though he clearly recognized the vastly greater scale and impact of today's technology. His suggestion to use these same tools to "document and broadcast every instance of corruption in real-time" shows how historical principles can adapt to modern circumstances.
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The Public Education Debate: Adams's fierce reaction to "School Choice" initiatives, connecting them to the kind of aristocratic privileges he fought against, offers a striking historical perspective on current education policy debates. His insistence that education is a "PUBLIC DUTY, not a private commodity" speaks directly to contemporary controversies.
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Religious Liberty: His reference to the Treaty of Tripoli and his explicit statement that America "is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion" provides crucial historical context for current debates about religion in government and education.
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Solutions and Resistance: Throughout the conversation, Adams consistently emphasized constitutional solutions and peaceful resistance, even in the face of systemic corruption. His detailed suggestions for action—from documenting everything to establishing independent communication networks—offer practical guidance that remains relevant today.
This AI-enabled dialogue, while interpreting historical perspectives through modern technology, reminds us that many of our current challenges were anticipated by the founders, even if their scale and specific forms have evolved. Adams's passionate defense of education, warnings about corruption, and emphasis on constitutional fidelity speak directly to our current moment, suggesting that while the specifics of our crisis may be new, the principles for addressing it remain rooted in our founding ideals.
The Role of AI in Democratic Discourse
This conversation also demonstrates the potential of AI as a tool for democratic discourse. By allowing us to "converse" with historical figures, AI can help us:
- Gain fresh perspectives on current problems
- Connect historical wisdom to modern challenges
- Explore complex political issues through new lenses
- Better understand the foundations of our democratic system
- Could be benificial or deployed for nefarious purposes
- Should be treated as a tool
Looking Forward
As we face unprecedented challenges to our democratic system, this AI-enabled conversation with John Adams serves as both a warning and a call to action. The principles he fought for - educated citizenry, separation of powers, civic virtue, and religious liberty - are as crucial today as they were in the 18th century.
The question now is whether we will heed these warnings and take action to preserve our democratic institutions for future generations. As Adams reminded us, "Liberty, once lost, is lost forever." The responsibility for preventing such a loss falls to each of us.
This blog post demonstrates the potential of AI to facilitate meaningful discussions about democracy and governance by channeling historical perspectives. While the AI's responses are interpretations based on historical records and writings, they offer valuable insights for our current political discourse.
