The Rise of the Estates
From the clergy to code, every age has crowned a new class of influence. As synthetic intelligence rises, understanding the structure of power has never been more urgent.
The Rise of the Estates
Power, Truth, and Influence from the Pulpit to the Algorithm
Column One: The Framework of Power
By George Moen | Co-Founder & Publisher | June 6, 2025
From the clergy to code, every age has crowned a new class of influence. As synthetic intelligence rises, understanding the structure of power has never been more urgent.
"To know who rules over you, simply find out who you are not allowed to criticize." ~Voltaire
Who holds power?
That’s the question.
It always has been.
Not just in politics or economics, but in culture, communication, technology, and truth. For over a thousand years, human civilization has been shaped by distinct layers of influence, each rising with the times and defining who gets to speak, decide, and rule.
Historically, we called them The Estates—a framework first formalized in medieval Europe to describe the dominant forces of society. Initially, they were about class: clergy, nobility, and commoners. But over time, the Estates evolved into something much more profound:
A timeline of power.
A map of who holds the levers of truth, control, and creation at any given point in history.
In this series, we’ll trace that evolution—seven Estates of influence, each one redefining authority for its era:
- The 1st Estate – The Clergy: spiritual power over souls
- The 2nd Estate – The Nobility: hereditary rule and military control
- The 3rd Estate – The Commoners: the rise of labor, numbers, and democratic voice
- The 4th Estate – The Press: truth-shapers and storytellers
- The 5th Estate – Networked Individuals: Decentralized Digital Voices
- The 6th Estate – Algorithms: curators of visibility and behavior
- The 7th Estate – Synthetic Intelligence: autonomous systems that generate and decide TM
These aren’t just historical artifacts. They are still at work—overlapping, clashing, adapting. The question isn’t just what came before.
It’s what’s being born now.
As AI begins to think, write, and act independently, are we witnessing the rise of something entirely new? Is the 7th Estate the final chapter of human-led influence? Or just the next stage in the story of power?
This series isn’t just about looking back. It’s about seeing forward—critically and collectively.
We begin at the beginning: a world ruled by robes, rituals, and the divine right to define reality.
When we at WBN reflected on the arc of influence, we saw that journalism truly emerged in the 4th Estate—and has never left the center of societal power since. It has simply evolved. And today, as AI and synthetic systems rise, modern journalism must rise again: not just to report on the future, but to inform the people shaping it.
Why This Matters
Power no longer wears robes or crowns. It doesn’t always speak through votes or broadcasts. Today, it can whisper in code, shape perception invisibly, and act faster than regulation can respond.
That’s why we’re tracking it.
WBN was built not just to report on business but to inform the business of truth itself. In a world shaped by synthetic systems and real-time influence, the role of intelligent, accountable media is not optional—it’s essential.
This series is our call to clarity.
Not to chase power.
But to understand it.
Because when you understand how power moves, you’re no longer ruled by it—you become part of how it’s reshaped.
George Moen,—critically Co-Founder & Publisher
📧 gmoen@wbnn.news
TAGS: #The Rise of the Estates #Media Power #Synthetic Intelligence #AI and Society #Journalism in the AI Era #Digital Authority #Algorithmic Influence #Networked Power #WBN Editorial
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