Hamilton Mann: Rethinking AI Governance as Constitutional Design

Hamilton Mann argues that one of the most urgent challenges posed by AI is the concentration of algorithmic power. He identifies three layers: capability, as a small number of companies develop powerful AI systems; distribution, as those systems reach millions of people; and, most consequentially, governance, where some algorithmic systems can increasingly shape decisions, allocate resources, and determine outcomes. Conventional technology regulation is not enough, Hamilton says. AI governance should be a question of constitutional thinking – asking not simply what rules powerful systems should obey, but where their legitimacy comes from. Hamilton is the author of a new book, Trias Algorithmica: What Code Rules and Artificial Integrity, which was named a Thinkers50 Top 10 Best Management Book for 2025. He also received the 2025 Thinkers50 Digital Thinking Award, following his induction into the Thinkers50 Radar in 2024. This podcast is part of an ongoing series of interviews with executives. The executives’ participation in this podcast are solely for educational purposes based on their knowledge of the subject and the views expressed by them are solely their own. This podcast should not be deemed or construed to be for the purpose of soliciting business for any of the companies mentioned, nor does Deloitte advocate or endorse the services or products provided by these companies.